turning gray - UNC School of Social Work

Contact School of Social Work

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2014

North Carolina turning gray

More social workers needed for booming aging population

2 Contact | UNC School of Social Work

As fall is upon us and we welcome a new class, I am reminded of how committed our students and gradu-

ates are to this profession and how eager they are to improve the lives of those in need. There is no doubt that year after year, we at-tract some of the best and brightest students, all of whom enthusiastically demonstrate a desire to make a difference. At the same time, as our lead article discusses, our profession is entering an unprecedented era, where the demand for geriatric social workers is expected to surpass the supply of practitioners interested in or entering the aging field. Nevertheless, very few students enrolling in our MSW program or in peer programs across the country are choosing to work with older adults, despite the plentiful job opportunities in this field. Fortunately, faculty

members such as Sheryl Zimmerman, the School’s Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham Distinguished Professor, and doctoral stu-dents such as Christina Horsford continue to demonstrate through their research work why the aging field is far from stereotypical and a promising one worth pursuing. Consider, for example, our School’s own efforts in completing what is believed to be a first-of-its kind needs assessment on North Carolina’s LGBT seniors. Through this assess-ment, our School is helping to raise awareness around the need for more LGBT-inclusive aging services, health care providers, and long-term care communities. This study, which the School’s Center for Aging Re-search and Educational Services (CARES) helped develop, speaks to our professional ethics, including our commitment to prevent and eliminate discrimination against any individual or group. I am proud of our faculty and staff leadership on such an important human rights issue. Our School continues to explore new op-portunities for teaching and training, includ-ing the creation of MSW-level practice classes and a summer training institute that embrace the teachings of the late Virginia Satir, the development of more online courses, as well as through additional educational collabora-tions with our international peers. In March, I met with faculty and students at the Centre for Studies in Rural Develop-ment, Institute of Social Work and Research in Ahmednagar, India, as part of our ongoing agreement for exchange experiences in social work education, practice and research. Then in May, Associate Professor Mimi Chapman and Assistant Professor Gina Chowa were among those who traveled to China to meet with some of our research partner institu-tions and to present at a seminar at the China

Youth University of Political Science. Each of these trips enables us to develop more oppor-tunities for joint faculty research and student exchanges, all of which are a valuable part of our global mission. In other news, we welcomed a new faculty member, Assistant Professor Amy Blank Wilson. Amy joins us from Cleveland, Ohio, where she served on the faculty of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western University. Amy’s research interests include interventions for people with serious mental illness involved in the justice system, and criminal thinking and criminogenic risk in people with serious mental illness. Unfortunately, we also had to say good-bye to members of our School family who moved on to other opportunities, including Professor Shenyang Guo and DDTI Clini-cal Program Coordinator Chris Egan; and retiring faculty Professor Walter Farrell, Associate Professor Amelia Roberts-Lewis and Clinical Associate Professor Joanne Caye. We also mourned the loss this academic year of Clinical Instructor and Field Adviser Teresa L. Ilinitch, who died unexpectedly on Feb. 3, at her home in Pittsboro. We know that our students will greatly benefit from the scholarship that Teresa’s family established in her name. In closing, despite budget cuts in recent years, I am convinced that we continue to offer the best MSW and Ph.D. program in social work. And while we may face ad-ditional challenges in the months ahead, I am confident that our School will continue to grow stronger because of our dedicated faculty, staff and students. As always, I greatly appreciate your sup-port, involvement and feedback.

Message from the Dean

Jack M. Richman

3Contact | UNC School of Social Work

North Carolina Turning Gray

Social workers needed to work with booming aging population • 4Brochures warn seniors on danger of mixing alcohol and medication • 6UNC study: Assisted living communities home to more older adults with dementia • 8School works to raise awareness of LGBT aging • 9New study aims to improve mouth care, reduce disease in older adults • 10New website offers information about N.C. assisted living residences • 11

School News

UNC study finds promising results in domestic violence prevention program • 14Clark awarded $829,000 NIH grant to study drug abuse in biracial youth • 16MSW students turn life-altering experiences into advocacy for others • 18MSW and doctoral scholarships and awards • 20School holds 93rd annual commencement • 22Faculty spotlight • 24Eight honored with School of Social Work faculty and staff awards • 27School continues international collaboration with India • 28Faculty become Society for Social Work and Research Fellows • 29School to develop Satir method certification program and summer training institute • 30CHSA and UNC launch child welfare research network • 30Clinical Lecture Series celebrates 10 years, announces new events • 40Outstanding Doctoral Student named • 41Two join School’s Board of Advisors • 41

Alumni and Development Updates

You can make a difference • 21Three honored with 2014 Distinguished Alumni Awards • 31Honor Roll of Giving • 32Alumni update • 36Reeves family gives additional $250,000 to doctoral program • 41Donor adds to scholarship serving students interested in military social work • 42Family establishes scholarship in memory of faculty member Teresa Ilinitch • 42Alumni president’s letter • 43

DeanJack Richman

Associate Dean for AdvancementMary Beth Hernandez

EditorDirector of CommunicationsMichelle Rogers

WritersMichelle RogersSusan White

Graphic DesignMichelle RogersRich Stewart

PhotographyTom FuldneriStockPhoto Michelle RogersSusan White School of Social WorkThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill CB# 3550, 325 Pittsboro St.Chapel Hill, NC 27599(919) 962-1225ssw.unc.edu

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The numbers are staggering. An estimated 10,000 Baby Boomers across the country will turn 65 today and every day between now and the year 2030, according to the Pew Research Center. That means that in a little less than two decades, the total number of 65-year-olds living in the United States is projected to be about 72.1 million

or almost 20 percent of the entire population and more than twice the number living in 2000. To understand the significance of this growth, try to imagine the entire populations of California, Texas, and Georgia consisting only of seniors. No babies. No hipsters. No Gen Xers. Just groups and groups of older individuals—a population that research has shown is living longer than ever before, is healthier than their predecessors but in some cases, aging with many more complex needs. Such unprecedented demographic changes offer both opportunities and challenges, said UNC School of Social Work Professor Iris Carlton-LaNey. The question is whether the social work field is ready for it.

Social workers needed to work withbooming aging population

By Susan White



“I tell students all the time that whether you are planning your career in aging, you’re going to have one,” said Carlton-LaNey, whose academic interest focuses on aging in rural communities. “So, it

behooves you as a young professional to get ready for that. Because whether you’re con-sciously working in an agency that targets the elderly, you’re still going to work with them. In fact, I can’t think of any place that you’re not going to work with elders.” Indeed, labor market forecasts have been projecting a growing demand for geriatric social workers since before 2011, when 77 million Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) were expected to start en-tering their retirement years. What’s more,

employment data have trended toward this swelling aging population. Consider that in 1987, there were fewer than 30,000 social workers practicing with older adults. By 2020, the Eldercare Workforce Alliance (EWA), which works to expand the workforce in aging healthcare, predicts that between 60,000 to 70,000 geriatric social workers will be in demand. No doubt, some of these workers will apply their skills in direct practice with older adults in nursing homes or other residential long-term care settings. But an increasing number also will be needed to assist overwhelmed family caregivers, said Sheryl Zimmerman, the School’s Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham Distinguished Professor and associate dean for doctoral education.

“Having proportionately more older adults means there are fewer younger adults, which translates to fewer family caregivers,” said Zim-merman, whose research focuses on gerontology, including long-term

care and dementia. “Families are the largest provider of supportive care to older adults, but statistics from AARP show that today’s ratio of seven caregivers to every one older adult will drop to three to one by 2050, which means we won’t have enough care-givers. “So social workers are going to be criti-cal in helping families to find the supportive services they need, and we’re going to have to create more supportive services because families can’t do it all. We’re just going to

have to do more.” This graying shift will be especially noticeable in North Caro-lina. According to the state Division of Aging and Adult Services, by 2030, 75 of 100 counties are expected to have more people age 60 and older than children age 17 and younger. In Orange County alone, the percentage of adults age 60 and older already make up 16 percent of the county’s overall population; by decade’s end, they will account for 20 percent, said Mary Fraser, aging transitions administrator with the Orange County Department on Aging and a field supervisor for the UNC School of Social Work. “The numbers really are starting to drive everything,” said Fraser, who has supervised MSW students on and off for about 30 years. “In

According to the state Division of Aging and Adult Services, by 2030, 75 of 100 North Carolina counties are expected to have more people

age 60 and older than children age 17 and younger.

“I can’t think of any place that you’re not going to work with elders.”Professor Iris Carlton-LaNey


Continued next page

Iris Carlton-LaNey, Ph.D. Sheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D.

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In 1987, there were fewer than 30,000 social workers practicing with older adults. By 2020, the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, which works to expand the workforce in aging healthcare, predicts that between 60,000 to 70,000 geriatric social workers will be in demand.


fact, there are already more folks over 55 here than there are children in school. So the people are coming, but the services and clinical structure and systems really aren’t ready for it. But it’s part of our responsibility to help that happen. So it’s serving the people we have now and watching those changes and driving the future so

that we can accommodate the shift in demographics.” There’s just one problem, agreed social work educators and aging providers: Few people are choosing to enter the aging profession, despite the explosion in job opportunities. In fact, MSW programs across the country typically have little more than a handful of students at a time interested in working with older adults, School leaders said. Furthermore, the EWA reports that health care professionals are not receiving adequate education or preparation to meet the growing needs of older adults. As a result, many workers are encouraged or required to get ad-ditional training on the job, said Tanya Richmond, a clinical assistant professor and former program coordinator for the School’s Center for Aging Research and Educational Services (CARES). Faculty and staff at CARES design curricula and offer much of this needed training through in-field and online workshops to agencies and service provid-ers across the state year-round. “A lot of the focus is on care and support of older adults with men-tal health issues and on those who have physical and cognitive issues that need to be addressed, like dementia, or some of the normal things that come along with aging,” said Richmond, whose trainings focus on

person-centered practices. “Ultimately, we just want to make sure that people get access to quality information, to best practices, and to the newest thinking about what it means” to grow older. Over the years, aging practice has evolved into a much more interdisciplinary field with social workers, physicians, pharmacists and nurses, for example, joining forces to develop interventions and pro-grams that address the diverse needs of older adults, Zimmerman said. Nevertheless, even with these advancements, some trainees, including social workers, “don’t necessarily have a full understanding of what it means to work with older adults,” she said. “Typically students don’t realize how much we know about how to improve the quality of life of people with dementia, for example, or how to help promote active engagement, or even how to support people during the process of dying,” she said. “Today, working with older adults and their families can be tremendously positive and af-firming, but students often don’t realize that.” How society defines aging contributes to some of this lack of understanding, said School of Social Work Clinical Assistant Professor Denise Dews. “We used to think of being eligible for AARP, you had to be 50,” said Dews, who has taught aging classes. “And yet, 50-year-olds do not have as much in common with 65-year-olds as they once did. In fact, very seldom are people retiring at 50 or 60 or even 65 anymore.” Although medical, technological and lifestyle improvements are helping people to live longer, age-old stereotypes continue to stigmatize the field and seniors in gen-eral, explained Hong Zhou, a student in the School’s MSW/MDiv program. Zhou, who interned this year with the Robert & Pearl Seymour Center—one of two senior centers in Orange


Two brochures are available to help older adults residing in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) learn the dangers of risks of alcohol

as related to medicine. One brochure is intended for distribution by CCRCs and the other for distribution through physician offices and programs catering to older adults, such as senior centers and Meals on Wheels. Professor Sheryl Zimmerman, Ph.D., and Kirsten A. Nyrop, Ph.D. ’10, authored the brochures. The project was funded through a grant from the Peter J. and Prudence F. Meehan Fund at the Triangle Community Foundation. Prudence Meehan serves on the School of Social Work’s Board of Advisors.

Brochures warn seniors on danger of mixing alcohol and medicationBy Michelle Rogers

The public is invited to download the brochures at http://ssw.unc.edu/AlcoholBrochure and make copies.

Hong Zhou

Clinical Assistant Professor Tanya Richmond presents on empowering older adults


County—plans to work with migrant populations and older adults after graduation. “It’s impacted by the general culture here,” Zhou said of the at-titudes on aging. “I recently read an article that talked about how older people remind us of the threat of death—that we are decaying. And that’s counter to the qualities that we build our self-values or self-esteem on, such as good looks, athleticism and sexual attractiveness. Those are the things people seem to really value, and when they look at old people, they remind them that those things don’t endure.” Carlton-LaNey agreed. “Generally, students who say they are not interested in the field—it has to do with their anxiety about their own aging and their expectation that it will be a miserable experience,” she added. Those beliefs seemed to have been confirmed several years ago when the School distributed a survey to better gauge student interest in aging practice. Not surprising, most respondents said they were hesitant to enter a field where they expected most of their work would revolve around clients who were dying. But are those worries unfounded? Census figures and research would suggest so. On average, men and women are living until nearly 80, and many are remaining independent, healthy, and physically and socially active for the latter part of their lives. Nevertheless, for some older adults, living longer can mean con-fronting multiple and complex challenges such as dementia or other acute health problems over an extended period of years. “Yes, there are many who will have complicated physical issues or complicated psychological issues, but that’s no different than the rest of us,” said Ph.D. student Christina Horsford, whose research focuses on older adults and improving long-term care. “Most older people age very well. Honestly, there’s no reason to fear aging as an individual or the field.” What needs to be better understood and better communicated, Horsford said, are the variety of options that social workers have to work with older adults across a range of interests. Horsford’s own research is a good example. She’s currently working on an interdisci-plinary study that examines why some residents in nursing homes have difficulty maintaining consistent eating and drinking patterns and how social workers might help to address this problem. The project is different because nutrition and hydration have gen-erally been discussed medically and clinically and how nurses, nursing aides and physicians should intervene to help patients, Horsford explained. “But this study is focusing on how social work has a role in this as well,” she said. “And what a social worker could do in this setting is look at all of the things outside of the clinical aspect of care that might be affecting the resident’s interest or ability in eating and drinking.” Such efforts could involve numerous activities, such as checking the lighting in residents’ rooms to ensure food can be seen easily dur-ing mealtimes or making sure utensils are adaptive for residents with arthritis or Parkinson’s. “The goal is to figure out what we can do to make eating and drinking a more pleasurable experience,” Horsford said. “And this is where I think social work is so unique because our role is really to take the time to unpack these things and understand what’s happening in the entire environment, starting with the person but also looking at every aspect of care surrounding the person.” But today’s aging practice involves more than just health care, Horsford added. Social workers have so many more opportunities to examine aging through different lenses, such as through childhood development and the number of grandparents raising grandchildren. Interested in technology? How about working on a project that focuses on how older adults use iPads or social media?

“The fact is the field of aging is open—wide open,” she said. “You can do almost anything.” Even many of today’s seniors are approaching life in the same anything-is-possible way. For example, at the Seymour Center in Chapel Hill, more than 400 people a day show up for social and service support. There, they can find classes in everything from ballroom dancing to fused glass jewelry making to Congolese drumming. In ad-dition, the center is a one-stop shopping place for assistance with food stamps, long- and short-term care planning, or tax preparation. Center staff, including two full-time social workers, help connect older adults to the resources they need, said Janice Tyler, director of the Orange County Department on Aging. “We have such a diverse population that we’re programming for,” Tyler said. “The point is we really see ourselves as a wellness center. We are trying to help people age in community as long as pos-sible.” At the same time, social workers continue to enhance the quality of life for older adults in hospital and hospice settings, adult day centers, skilled nursing homes, and retire-ment communities. Kim Cuomo, MSW ’09, is among them. A case management worker in orthopedics and oncology at Wake Med, Cuomo has seen her share of older adults recovering from hip fractures or other breaks or strains. Many of these geriatric patients show up first in the emergency rooms at the hospital’s Cary and Ra-leigh locations. “The last report we have showed that forty percent of the patients in the ER in Cary were 65 and older and here in Raleigh, it was 32 per-cent,” said Cuomo, who also has worked in nursing homes and assisted living communities. Those statistics were a wake-up call, she said. Concerned that many seniors are at risk of multiple hospital readmissions, Wake Med created an interdisciplinary task force of physicians, pharmacists, nutritionists and others to develop prevention efforts to keep geriatric patients safe and healthy and out of the ER if possible. “Basically, if we could put support systems in place that would prevent them from coming back, that would be the best plan,” said Cuomo, a task force member. “Part of that is working on an education program to prevent falls and dealing with pain and medication man-agement.” That kind of innovative thinking will continue to influence aging practice and is just one of the many reasons students and current prac-titioners should view the field in an entrepreneurial way, Fraser said. She should know. After 30 years of working in mental health, policy, and administration, and as an adjunct professor at the School of Social Work, Fraser left her long-time career behind and returned to school for new opportunities in aging. “I just think this is the most exciting thing happening right now,” Fraser said of aging practice. “This really is a field for people who are interested in creating new ideas… particularly for students who are interested in community organization and developing new services. “With the kinds of community-based services that are already in place and the increasing emphasis on wellness, I think it challenges social workers in terms of how they engage with older adults.”


Mary Fraser and Janice Tyler


UNC study: Assisted living communities hometo more older adults with dementia

In a first-of-its-kind national study, UNC-Chapel Hill researchers have confirmed that assisted living communities are a primary provider of residential care for older adults with dementia and that

an estimated 7 out of 10 adults in these residences have some form of cognitive impairment. With these findings in mind, researchers recommended that assisted living homes consider more training for staff, especially in medication management and avoiding the use of medications to control behavior, and stressed recent recommendations that call for improved public education to help consumers better understand the varied policies and practices of assisted living. The research study, which was published in April in the journal Health Affairs, is based on a review of the 2010 National Survey of Residential Care Facilities. The study involved 2,300 assisted living residences from across the country and is the first time that data have been collected on a national scale to assess dementia prevalence and care in assisted living—communities that are currently regulated by states. As of 2010, assisted living residences across the country provided care to an estimated 733,000 older adults. According to the study, 42 percent of these residents, or more than 300,000 adults, were

characterized as having dementia, or symptoms that affect an individual’s ability to think clearly. “Although multi-state studies and single state studies have looked at dementia, what the prevalence is, and related policy and practice issues, the national figures did not exist until now. So these results help to clarify the scope of what we’ve been seeing from other studies,” explained Sheryl Zimmerman, a distinguished professor in UNC’s Schools of Social Work and Public Health. Zimmerman, who is also co-director of the Program on Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, collaborated on the study with Sheps Center colleagues, Philip D. Sloane, program co-director and a distinguished professor in the UNC Department of Family Medicine; and David Reed, a research associate. The UNC study also examined dementia-specific care, also known as memory care, in assisted living residences. Researchers found that most adults in assisted living are not residing in dementia special-care units because most, or 83 percent, did not have such specialty units. Zimmerman cautioned that the lack of specialized care, which is generally more expensive, does not necessarily equate to poorer outcomes for residents with dementia. In fact, her previous research

Findings stress additional training for staff and improved consumer education

By Susan White


Continued on p. 12


Although the historic legalization of same-sex marriage in 19 states and counting has cast unprecedented attention on the LGBT community over the past year, LGBT seniors still

remain mostly invisible. In fact, for decades, the needs and interests of aging lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals largely have been ignored in research, policies, and services. Yet, statistics show that close to 2 million Americans, 65 or older, identify as LGBT. Moreover, the population is expected to double by 2030, and researchers say the numbers could be even higher given the difficulty in accurately measuring a group that is rarely included in demographic studies. For these older adults, the challenges of economic insecurity, isolation, inadequate access to health and mental health care, and discrimination from caregivers and aging providers are ongoing issues. Furthermore, public and private agencies that are unprepared to serve this vulnerable community risk exacerbating these obstacles. Education and awareness are key, agreed faculty and staff at UNC’s School of Social Work, who are helping to shed light on the difficulties that LGBT seniors face. The School’s Center for Aging Research and Educational Services (CARES) has been leading these efforts by incorporating more discussions on LGBT aging in training workshops around the state and by collaborating with local agencies to create more inclusive aging environments. Perhaps more significant, CARES, School staff, and two MSW students helped launch last summer what is believed to be the first needs assessment of LGBT older adults in the Triangle area. Nearly 260 people, age 45 and older, responded to the survey, which examined the physical, mental, financial and social experiences, needs, and concerns of LGBT residents, mainly in Orange, Durham, Wake, and Chatham counties. The average age of respondents was 56.5 years, with 39 percent age 60 or older. Among the survey results:

• 74 percent said they openly identify as members of the LGBT community, with 25 percent identifying with some people but not others.

• 46 percent said they had experienced harassment, abuse, or

violence—and 75 percent said they knew someone who had experienced the same—because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

• Most respondents thought that it was “very important” that a variety of health and service providers, such as long-term care communities and emergency rooms, recognize and support LGBT people.

• 62 percent said that services should be tailored to LGBT people, with 80 percent interested in LGBT-tailored retirement communities, 57 percent in nursing homes and senior centers, and 54 percent in home health care.

• Of the small minority of people who said they had used aging services, 53 percent said that the agencies were not welcoming.

The survey’s results offer a window into a community that clearly has needs, said Debbie Hughes, MSW, ‘14, who, along with Jie Yang, MSW, ’13, interned with CARES and helped develop the assessment. “What I see are opportunities for social entrepreneurship, and we need people to step up,” said Hughes, who graduated in May. “This is clear evidence that aging services that are LGBT-conscious or focused or deliberately inviting will appeal to people. And there is so much that can be done by people who do social work or nonprofit work or for-profit work because this is a population of people who want services. It’s a supply and demand issue, and I think this is evidence of demand.” At the same time, more general education around LGBT aging is needed, said Tanya Richmond, a social work clinical assistant professor and former CARES program coordinator. Richmond regularly conducts workshops on person-centered thinking and practices around the state and over the past few years has been incorporating more discussions on LGBT issues into her training. Richmond said she found it necessary after hearing about how some gay and lesbian seniors were being treated in assisted living and nursing homes. One story in particular still strikes a nerve. It involved a nursing home in western North Carolina where residents, who may or may not have identified as lesbians, were encouraged to leave after other seniors there complained about the women holding hands. “This facility not only encouraged them to go away, they prayed over them and all kinds of stuff,” Richmond said. “So while finding them a new and welcoming home in another facility may have been the safe thing to do, it’s really not the right answer.” But those kinds of situations illustrate why LGBT seniors often avoid needed health or mental health care and why many fear discrimination in long-term care communities. Some of this fear is aggravated by the fact that many older LGBT adults became estranged from biological family after they came out and cannot rely on relatives as informal caregivers in the same way that straight adults can. Moreover, according to the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force,

School works to raise awareness of LGBT agingBy Susan White

Continued on p. 12


Debbie Hughes

Members of the Chapel Hill LGBT Senior Group, and MSW student Ginny Lewis (on the right)


New study aims to improve mouth care, reduce disease in older adults

In recent years, research has suggested that pneumonia, the leading cause of infectious death in nursing homes, could be prevented if residents received better daily mouth care. Now, a new UNC study

could pinpoint just how significant an effect improved brushing and flossing could have on infection prevention in older adults. Researchers at the School of Social Work, Department of Family Medicine, Schools of Public Health and Dentistry and the UNC Center for Infectious Diseases are collaborating on the five-year, $2.5 million study, which is being funded by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Fourteen nursing homes in North Carolina are expected to participate in a randomized trial, said School of Social Work Professor Sheryl Zimmerman, who is leading the research study. The centerpiece of the project is a person-centered training pro-gram known as “Mouth Care Without a Battle,” which teaches nurses, direct care workers, and family caregivers how to effectively provide quality mouth care to people who are unable to provide their own care, especially those with physical or cognitive impairments. Zimmer-man and her UNC colleagues developed the program and launched it earlier this year. The mouth care training program is based on a successful program that UNC researchers developed years ago to address bathing chal-lenges for individuals caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and

related dementias. Today, “Bathing Without a Battle,” is used in nurs-ing homes nationwide. Mouth care, which has always been a problem, deserves equal attention, said Zimmerman, the School’s Kenan Flagler Bingham Dis-tinguished Professor. “In some cases, we have found nursing home residents who haven’t had their teeth brushed for years,” she said. “The bottom line is that the majority of people in nursing homes need help with mouth care, but the minority get help. People in assisted living and those living at home need help, too.” There is evidence that up to 84 percent of residents in nursing homes need assistance with tooth brushing, including denture wearers. Although nursing home staff assist residents with many other needs, such as bathing and feeding, they generally do not offer consistent oral care. One reason for poor care is that some older adults with disabili-ties or dementia are sometimes resistant to mouth care, and staff are challenged with how to approach residents in a more acceptable way, Zimmerman said. Without proper and regular tooth brushing and flossing, residents may suffer from painful cavities, gum disease, or worse. “What people need to understand is that mouth care is not grooming,” she explained. “It’s health care. It’s infection control.” People, especially older adults, can be at risk for pneumonia when bacteria that accumulates on teeth is inhaled. Nationally, there are two million cases of pneumonia in nursing home residents annually—half of which researchers say might be avoided with better mouth care. UNC researchers think their person-centered approach could be central in reducing pneumonia. Mouth Care Without a Battle, which is available through a series of DVDs, teaches basic mouth care techniques and strategies, including how to brush with a non-foaming cleaning paste or rinse, use an interdental brush and apply fluoride paste. The program also provides techniques to address behavioral challenges. Last year, a pilot-test of the mouth care program was conducted with three nursing homes and produced promising results. Among other findings, researchers discovered that “as little as eight weeks of mouth care could significantly improve oral hygiene outcomes.” In ad-dition, findings showed that “all measures of gingival and tooth health were also significantly improved overall.” Moreover, researchers noted an improvement in nursing home staff attitudes about mouth care. Zimmerman said she and her colleagues hope to learn even more with the current project, which is expected to enroll nearly 1,500 nursing home residents. Such a broader sample could help researchers more definitively evaluate the relationship between enhanced mouth care and pneumonia incidence, she said. The study will also examine the program’s potential as a cost-saving intervention. If nursing home staff can provide better mouth care, then perhaps fewer residents will get sick and be hospitalized, Zimmerman explained. Long-term, researchers hope the mouth care program will prove to be a sustainable approach that can be replicated across the country. “It takes a long time for change, but we have reasons to believe it’s going to work because we’ve developed this program based on our bathing program that has been widely adopted,” Zimmerman added. “Ultimately, the goal is that we will reduce pneumonia and that personalized mouth care practices will become a standard of care in all nursing homes.”

By Susan White



New website offers information about state’s assisted living residences

Imagine that your elderly mom broke her hip and that she isn’t able to live at home in her aging two-story house. She will be discharged from rehabilitative care in a week and her doctors say

she needs to go to an assisted living facility. But you don’t have a clue which ones are close to your neighborhood, will provide the care she needs or will let her keep her cat. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone had done that research for you? Someone has. Two UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members with 40 years of combined research experience on the topic have put that information at your fingertips in the searchable website alce.unc.edu. The nonprofit site was created nearly a year ago by Sheryl Zimmer-man (School of Social Work) and Philip Sloane (Department of Family Medicine), co-directors of the Program on Aging, Disability and Long-term Care at UNC’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research since 1997. Together they are Assisted Living Comparison Experts (ALCE).

Detailed information about assisted living residences ALCE provides free, objective and detailed information about all assisted living residences in North Carolina. “This is a service to the state,” Zimmerman said. The site, found at http://alce.unc.edu, is also a labor of love for two boomer generation adults who had encountered their own frustrations in finding the right assisted living community for their own parents. The site is user-friendly and informative, created for those who don’t even know which questions to ask. From the home page, you can look up an assisted living residence by name or search for one by ZIP code, radius in miles and price per month. When your search results come up, you can refine the search with selections in these topics: resi-dence options, dementia and other care needs, staffing, activities and pets, and payment and services. Linked to each option is a pop-up that tells you why each is impor-tant. For example, “residence options” are important because “assisted living residences differ in their size, the levels of care they provide, and

whether or not private rooms are available.” ALCE provides this information because its creators knew that most searches on the site would be done “in a crisis mode,” Sloane said. “People have a tendency not to plan ahead. Then something happens and all of a sudden it’s urgent.” Also, existing websites are often biased, essentially marketing the property that lists the residence, or else receiving a fee if someone is placed there. In contrast, Zimmerman and Sloane have been thinking about these topics for a long time, and how hard it is for most people to un-derstand what assisted living is and the differences between residences. Until now, like most of their academic colleagues, they shared their knowledge through books and scholarly publications — more than 400 in total.

Something useful for consumers “But our research was not being applied,” Zimmerman said. Then, in 2008, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, awarded them a grant for the development of an assisted living questionnaire that could pro-vide information to those seeking assisted living. At last, they thought, a chance to create something useful for consumers. Yet after the completion of the questionnaire, there was no plan to implement the questionnaire and get its information out to those who need it, much to the frustration of the researchers. “How do we get all this research to matter?” Zimmerman asked. And the answer was, “Do it yourself.” “We knew the time had come to make a difference and be helpful,” Zimmerman said. So the researchers became entrepreneurs and took part in the Launch the Venture course for startups at Kenan-Flagler Business School. At the time, their instructor was going through the process of

By Susan Hudson, University Relations


Continued on p. 13

Visit the ALCE website at alce.unc.edu


LGBT older adults are twice as likely to live alone and four times less likely to have children and grandchildren compared to their straight counterparts. Research has shown that the isolation and social stigma that aging LGBT people face can have real consequences, especially if individuals don’t get needed health or mental health services. SAGE, the nation’s largest and oldest advocacy group for LGBT elders, reports that 29 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults and 30 percent of transgender adults are more likely “to delay or not seek medical care” compared to 17 percent of heterosexual adults. Furthermore, SAGE reports that LGBT seniors face “significant health disparities, including high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS and more.” In a 2011 national health study, more than half of LGBT respondents were told by a doctor that they were depressed; 39 percent said they had seriously considered suicide, and 53 percent felt isolated

from others. LGBT members generally contribute this depression to the discrimination and bigotry that they face. Respondents to the CARES’ needs assessment reported similar concerns. More than 40 percent said they felt isolated or somewhat isolated and more than a third said they had seen a mental health professional in the past two years. Of those seeking mental health assistance, 27 percent said they had “wanted to commit suicide.” “What’s troubling is that we in the health and human services field have not done a great job of recognizing the existence of LGBT older adults or ensuring that they have access to the same health, mental health, and social supports that other seniors have access to,” said Richmond, who also worked on the needs assessment with CARES’ faculty members Mary Anne Salmon and Margaret Morse. “As a result, and even more troublesome are the stories you hear of LGBT seniors choosing to go back into the closet, especially within nursing homes and other long-term care or health settings because they’re

LGBT aging, continued from p. 9


has found that residents benefit more from best practices such as pleasant sensory stimulation and individualized care, than residing in special dementia care units. In the current study, researchers did find that assisted living communities, in general, are housing residents who have greater cognitive impairments and as a result, need more and more care. Specifically, the study found that almost a quarter of adults in assisted living have a moderate impairment and a fifth have a severe impairment, meaning they required assistance with various daily activities such as bathing, eating, dressing, or taking medication. “Many of the people in assisted living today would have been in nursing homes ten years ago,” Zimmerman said. “Hospitals discharge people sooner, meaning that nursing homes are taking care of sicker people. In turn, people in nursing homes who don’t need 24/7 nursing care now live in assisted living. So it’s no surprise that people in assisted living have more needs than they used to.” Although the UNC study didn’t address the extent that these needs are met, researchers suggested that additional staff training

and best practices should be encouraged to ensure that employees better recognize dementia and changes in residents’ behavior and can respond to them. The need for training is illustrated by the finding that 69 percent of all assisted living residences regularly gave out medications to control behavior, Zimmerman noted. These data do not suggest that places are “automatically” prescribing drugs when there are problems, but they do show that they are giving medications, which is reason to pause, Zimmerman said. “Just because someone is agitated doesn’t mean that you automatically give them medication to calm them down,” she said. “That’s not supposed to be the first line of activity.” Rather, more attention should be given to the possible cause of an individual’s behavior, she added. “Are they hot? Are they cold? Are they hungry? Is there too much stimulation?” Zimmerman asked. “What all this really says at this point is that we need to better understand when medications are being given and what for and are there better things that could be done instead, which folds right back into staff training.” Medication training also is important because in one-fifth of residences, untrained staff are administering medications. Zimmerman’s other research has found that untrained staff make more errors in medication administration, suggesting that any staff who handle medications be trained to the level of a medication aide or technician, the current requirement in North Carolina. Given that assisted living residences are so variable, UNC researchers also recommended that the public become more aware of their services, policies, and costs. Among other issues, consumers should know about admitting and discharge policies, which can vary from residence to residence and may not always be publicly disclosed, Zimmerman said. “Some of these things will actually matter for care, but consumers don’t always know to ask,” she said. Zimmerman and Sloane helped shed some light on this issue in North Carolina last year with the creation of a searchable website (see story on p. 11) that offers detailed information about assisted living residences in the state. The goal is to help consumers find the right home that best meets the needs of older adults and hopefully, promotes quality of life. Ultimately, having a more educated public on the role of these communities benefits everyone, Zimmerman said. “The fact is this industry has become a huge long-term care provider for older adults, and if assisted living isn’t doing it, then where will these people get supportive care?”

UNC study, continued from p. 8


afraid that staff and residents will not accept them and may be openly hostile to them. We have to change this. All people should be able to live their lives to the greatest extent that they are able and to have as much positive control over their life and health decisions as they can.” Over the next year, Richmond said she hopes to use the survey results to develop additional sensitivity training on LGBT aging to supplement the work that CARES is already doing and to provide the data to researchers to help better inform policy makers. Some leaders with the N.C. Area Health Education Centers, which support the state’s health and health workforce, have already expressed interest in the sensitivity training. But Richmond knows that others, including agencies that oversee community-based services for older adults may be reluctant to participate. “In some communities, there are people who are really savvy and they know what resources are there and how to support someone who is LGBT,” Richmond said. “But almost always, there is some

consciousness raising that has to happen because these discussions are not always well-accepted. So we spend a lot of time talking about statistics, and we talk about how agencies might encounter someone who is LGBT. These are important conversations to have because it really is more about human rights than anything else.” Still, some agencies struggle with the discussions because they think current policies that declare their organizations open to anyone are adequate, even when they do not expressly address discrimination based on sexual

orientation or gender identity, said Denise Dews, a social work clinical assistant professor. “Some aging providers are quick to note that they don’t discriminate, rather than discussing the ways in which they specifically reach out to the LGBT population,” said Dews, who has taught classes on aging. “We have to remember that we continue to live in a heterosexist society and until we hurdle that and raise awareness and actually have conversations, we won’t realize that ‘We don’t discriminate’ isn’t enough.” Leaders at the Orange County Department on Aging were reminded of that in 2012 when a Chapel Hill resident alerted them that the county’s five-year master plan on aging included no strategies or material for reaching out to the LGBT community or any mention of

LGBT older adult needs. Although the county serves a diverse group of residents, outreach to LGBT seniors had not been considered, and it should have been, said Janice Tyler who oversees the department, including the Central Orange Senior Center in Hillsborough and the Robert & Pearl Seymour Center in Chapel Hill. “We realized that there are issues there, and we need to address this in our county because you don’t know whether you are welcoming or not,” Tyler said. From those early conversations, Tyler and her department moved quickly to educate staff and to reach out to the LGBT community. After attending a workshop on LGBT elders, she required all of her staff to view the award-winning documentary, “Gen Silent,” which focuses on the difficulties of LGBT aging. The School of Social Work hosted a public screening of the film in 2011, and some faculty have since incorporated the film into their social work classes. Orange County aging leaders also worked with a roundtable of people, including Richmond; leaders with the LGBT Center in Raleigh; and members of the LGBT community, to help establish Chapel Hill’s first LGBT Senior Group. The group, which has been meeting twice a month at the Seymour Center since last August, offers older LGBT residents a safe space to socialize with others their own age and to discuss any needs and challenges around aging in place. About 10 to 12 people regularly attend the meetings, including Chapel Hill resident Tim Williams, 71, a retired social worker. Williams said he’s enjoyed making new friends and appreciates the support that the county has shown the LGBT community. “Having an LGBT group at the center is very normalizing,” he said. “I think it brings us into the mainstream of elderly life and makes us more visible.” Most recently, Tyler and others helped launch a “Speakers Bureau.” Bureau members, including Williams, volunteer to visit health and human service agencies that want to learn more about serving LGBT seniors. MSW student, Ginny Lewis, who completed her internship with the LGBT Senior Group this year, developed the idea for the bureau, which she views as another powerful way for LGBT members to become involved with the community. “I think the Speakers Bureau could be empowering for the seniors because some members really want to teach and share,” she said. And aging providers should be willing to listen, added Richmond. “Advancing health and well-being into old age, and ensuring and enabling supportive environments is not just important for those who are LGBT. It’s important for all of us,” she said. “So, when any of us can make a difference by championing supports and services and environments that are welcoming for all older adults, we should do that. When we can support, protect, and strengthen human rights for all older adults we should do that. A human rights issue for any one among us is and should always be a human rights issue for all of us.”


helping his own elderly parents relocate, and he thought their idea for a searchable website was a winner. “I’m very enthusiastic about what they’re doing,” said Ted Zoller, director of Kenan-Flagler’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. “Just about every family faces this, and very few websites are looking at this with strong evaluative standards.”

Includes all assisted living providers in NC ALCE includes all the assisted living providers in the state, with information about each downloaded from state regulatory websites as well as phone calls made by the research staff and updated regularly.

Only a few other states, like Maryland and Ohio, have this kind of objective resource for consumers. Zimmerman and Sloane would like to see this kind of directory expand – perhaps with ALCE as a prototype. As Zimmerman realized when her own parents were choos-ing which of their children to live near when they relocated, consumers who live in one state often need information about another. “I very much would like this to go national. We need a way to put this information in people’s hands,” she said. “For now, we’re focusing on residences located in North Carolina, but we recognize that people in our state may be interested in assisted living in other states if they have family living elsewhere.”

New website, continued from p. 11


UNC study finds promising results in domestic violence prevention program

A groundbreaking UNC study on domestic violence prevention has found that women who completed an intervention program designed to improve their families’ safety, strengthen

their self-esteem, and enhance their parenting skills were less likely to be re-victimized and more likely to leave an abusive spouse or partner. School of Social Work researcher Rebecca Macy led a team of UNC colleagues in directing the five-year study, which is believed to be the first in the country to focus on survivors of domestic violence who have become entangled in the courts or with child protective services (CPS) as a result of fighting back against their abuser. The Duke Endowment, a Charlotte-based private foundation that strengthens communities in

North Carolina and South Carolina, supported the $600,000 study, which was published online in the journal, Research and Social Work Practice. The study is considered novel because so few of the country’s domestic violence prevention practices have been evaluated, Macy noted. Without properly reviewing such programs, agencies may struggle to understand what works best for their clients, she said. The UNC research aims to shed some light on that question by focusing on the success of a program called, “Mothers Overcoming Violence through Education and Empowerment” or MOVE. MOVE is a collaborative effort between nonprofits, InterAct of Wake County, which provides domestic violence prevention services, and SAFEchild Raleigh, which offers services for child abuse prevention. The agencies started MOVE in 2007 after staff at both noticed a surprising trend: many of the women seeking their help had been arrested for fighting back against their abuser, largely to protect their children, themselves or a pet. Because these women were not like the primary abusers the agencies traditionally served, the groups initially struggled with how to assist them. Generally, clients enter the Wake County agencies

By Susan White

Rebecca Macy, Ph.D.


voluntarily. But after national arrest laws around intimate partner violence were tightened in the 1980s, many more agencies began encountering women who had fought back against their abuser and then ordered by a court or child protective services to seek violence prevention help. Ultimately, MOVE was launched to address the complex needs of a growing number of women mandated to receive services, to help build a network of support around them, and to provide a safety net for their children, said Macy, the School of Social Work’s L. Richardson Preyer Distinguished Chair for Strengthening Families. Nearly 140 women have enrolled in the program over the past six years. “So many of the women MOVE has worked with have complicated histories, and many have had years of victimization,” Macy explained. “For those reasons, these are individuals who feel badly about themselves, and they blame themselves for the abuse in their relationships.” The intervention program attempts to alter that line of thinking by helping participants regain their self-confidence, develop the tools needed to be better parents, and break the cycle of violence. “One of the primary goals is to give them a chance to feel good about themselves again and to help them make healthy decisions for themselves and for their children,” said Stacey Sullivan, MSW ’89, a clinical supervisor at SAFEchild and MOVE program coordinator. MOVE offers 13 weeks of safety and parenting support, including coping and problem-solving techniques. Meetings also focus on helping the mothers feel special and include sit-down dinners with festive plates and a cake. Given that violence in the home can affect a child’s emotional, academic and social well-being, participants’ children also receive therapeutic group counseling, including advice on communicating feelings, managing anger and promoting self-advocacy. According to the UNC study, MOVE has shown promising results. First, researchers found that up to three months after participants completed the program, there was a 96.5 percent reduction in the likelihood that they would experience any kind of physical abuse again. There was also a nearly 84 percent decrease in the odds that the women would experience any form of psychological abuse. “In comparison to when the women entered the program, they were far less likely to report being physically as well as psychologically victimized by their male partners or spouses, both at program completion and three months afterwards,” Macy said of results, which were based on 70 women who completed the intervention and who agreed to participate in the study. “These findings also show a sustained reduction in violence, which is exciting given the severity of the physical and psychological victimization the women reported in the year before they entered MOVE.” In addition, Macy and her colleagues found that the participating women—most of whom were mothers with children ages 5 and younger—were also less likely to respond to abuse with physical or psychological violence. According to research results, the odds that MOVE participants would commit psychological or physical abuse reduced 89.2 percent and 93.6 percent, respectfully, following program completion. Perhaps even more promising, researchers found that many women left abusive relationships after graduating from the MOVE program. According to the UNC study, at the beginning of the program, 42 percent of the participating women remained with their abusive partner; that percentage dropped to 32 percent after participants completed MOVE. At the three-month follow-up, only 19 percent still remained with their abusive partner, the study showed. “I think the structure of this program is what really mattered,” Macy explained of the positive results. “I also think this collaboration is an example of why community-based research is so innovative and

important. Because had I come up with this program in my office, I never would have thought to include some of the self-esteem activities that InterAct and SAFEchild thought to do.” Although pleased with the early results, UNC researchers say a more stringent study is needed before MOVE can be replicated and promoted as an evidence-based practice. In the meantime, Macy and her colleagues are currently gathering more data about the experience of the children involved in the program. The Duke Endowment is supporting this phase of the research with a $250,000 grant. The goal, Macy said, is to better understand how MOVE might also help children, as well as their mothers. After all, “research shows that children who are exposed to domestic violence growing up often have serious physical health, mental health and relationship problems as adults when compared to people who grew up in families without violence,” Macy said. “So, we are investigating how MOVE might help enhance the well-being of children who have been exposed to domestic violence,” she added. “We also want to begin to understand how to break the cycle of violence and victimization that are sometimes repeated in families.” Long-term, Sullivan hopes results from the research study can help many more families struggling with domestic violence. “If (MOVE) can make a difference, we don’t want it to be a secret that we keep,” she said. “The more people we reach, all the better.”

The Duke Endowment is based in Charlotte, N.C., and was established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke. The private foundation strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, the organization has distributed more than $3 billion in grants.

SAFEchild is committed to eliminating child abuse in Wake County by helping adults and children create nurturing environments free from abuse and neglect.

Contact | UNC School of Social Work 16 Contact | UNC School of Social Work16

As a child growing up in a small North Carolina town, Trenette Clark watched as substance use wreaked havoc on the lives of those she cared deeply about.

“I saw people who were very close to me living a lifestyle that was severe as it relates to the social and health consequences of substance use,” said Clark, an assistant professor at UNC’s School of Social Work. “I saw people lose their children to the child welfare system and never get them back. I saw 16- and 17-year-old teenagers convicted of felo-nies for drug possession. I saw people die—that was probably the most profound. Seeing people die young, in their 20s and 30s, had a real impact on me, and I started wondering, ‘Why do people use drugs?’ ” Clark’s interest in solving that question led her to earn a master’s and Ph.D. degree in social work and continues to guide her current research, which largely focuses on substance use among adolescents of color. Her persistence for answers paid off last year when the National Institutes of Health selected her to receive a nearly $829,000 grant for her work. The five-year federal grant is among those designated for leading research scholars across the country. Clark will use the funding to support research that few scholars have explored, specifically: Why black adolescents, who have been shown to use alcohol and drugs at substantially lower rates than their white peers, often catch up to and increasingly surpass the substance use rates of whites during young adulthood. “What’s interesting about this phenomenon is that it’s paradoxi-cal,” Clark said. “During young adulthood, we expect a plateau or decline in substance use. But instead what we find among blacks is a larger number of new users during young adulthood combined with a smaller number of blacks who are quitting relative to other racial/eth-nic groups.” Clark thinks that part of the answer to that puzzle may be found by looking at racial groups in other ways. Historically, blacks have been treated as one homogenous population in scholarly research. However, this practice ignores the diversity within the black race, including experiences of people who identify with multiple races, she explained. And nationally, more and more individuals are identifying with more than one race. In fact, according to the U.S. Census, an estimated 5.2

million people in the country identify as biracial, a population that is projected to triple by 2050. “I think about my friends who identify as African American, and those who identify as African, Afro Caribbean, or biracial,” the assis-tant professor said. “Their stories are similar to mine in many ways but also different in some ways.” Learning more about the “uniqueness” of these different groups is vital, Clark said, especially when trying to understand why some people of color begin to use alcohol or smoke cigarettes or marijuana, while others avoid the gateway drugs altogether. “What we do know is that for blacks, young adulthood introduces reduced protective factors such as limited, if any, parental monitoring but increased risk factors such as unemployment and the cumulative effect of racism and discrimination.” Clark explained. “So, could the substance use be a bit of self-medicating? I think it could be. It could be a way of coping with depressive symptoms and a sense of hopeless-ness.” Once more is known about why young people of color use substances, researchers can then focus on strengthening prevention efforts. Clark said such efforts could ultimately help to reduce dispari-ties in substance-use and help to diminish health-related problems that impact people of color at higher rates than other populations, includ-ing hypertension, diabetes, and cancer. “If I can use findings from this (NIH) study to develop or modify a prevention program that we can evaluate and implement nationwide, hopefully, that will help us chip away at these health disparities,” Clark added. Clark’s latest project will build on her previous research, which has focused on the experiences of substance use among biracial youth compared to the experiences of single-race youth, including use of cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol over several years. Overall, research-ers have found that adolescents who use substances are at greater risk for addiction, risky sexual behavior, and death. For Clark, the answer to why some youth of color start smoking or drinking may lie deep within patterns of data from a national longitu-

Clark awarded $829,000 NIH grant to study drug abuse in biracial youthBy Susan White

Trenette Clark, Ph.D. Photo courtesy The Daily Tar Heel.

Clark (right) and research assistant, Monique Smith, present posters at a local middle school to encourage conversation about drugs.

dinal study on adolescent health. The study followed youth and young adults from about age 11 to 35. Clark began digging into the data a couple of years ago and found some interesting substance-use trends, especially among single-race and biracial groups, including individuals who identified as black white; black American Indian; black Asian and black Hispanic. Among her findings: In some cases, individuals who identify as biracial use substances at earlier ages than people who identify with just one race, such as black. However, Clark said the most intriguing finding from her research suggests that biracial youth are influenced by both cultures of the single-race groups that make up their racial identity. This blend of cul-tures affects biracial youth in such a way that their rates of substance use tend to be on a middle ground between the rates of the two racial groups that make up the youths’ identity. For example, the prevalence rates of substance use among youth who identify as biracial black/white tend to fall between the prevalence rates of youth who identify as either only-white or youth who identify as only-black. “Again, what that tells me is that when we have been looking at these racial groups altogether, we’ve been blurring the picture,” Clark said. “In my studies, we found that biracial youth have distinct sub-stance use rates and patterns. These findings have important implica-tions for prevention efforts because they may help us identify groups or subgroups that may be at higher risk of engaging in substance use and help us to target these groups in prevention programs.”

Clark’s research findings also support a growing need for parents to have multiple serious conversations with their children about drugs. That realization became even clearer, she said, during a recent visit at an elementary school. While talking to a 10-year-old girl, Clark said she was surprised to learn that the student knew a lot more about drugs than she expected. For example, the girl described drug buys that she had witnessed in her own neighborhood and even demon-strated to Clark how a buyer and a purchaser carefully cup their hands to help conceal the exchange of money for drugs. “The comments made during these conversations were shocking but also reminded me why I do what I do,” she said. In the short-term, Clark hopes to raise drug prevention awareness among parents over the next few years, including through the use of social media. Her project team has already created Facebook and Twit-ter pages where announcements, resources and helpful information can be shared. “Ultimately, I know that parents work hard and want to do everything they can to keep their children away from drugs,” Clark said. “But studies show that adolescents continue to use substances. So the point is, it’s not enough to have a single conversation with your children about drugs. You need to clearly convey expectations and monitor your kids. You need to know where they are, what they’re do-ing and who their friends are. It really requires active parenting.”

Contact | UNC School of Social Work 17Contact | UNC School of Social Work 17


Karen Kranbuehl, Triangle Distance Education MSW Program

Kranbuehl’s eventual path into social work began in 1995, the

year she entered recovery from alcoholism. Then a senior at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Kranbuehl had been strug-gling with addiction since her mid to late teen years. From her first drink at age 16, she knew that alcohol would play more than a social role in her life. “I pretty much got drunk before school one morning and I thought, ‘Wow—this is a key to my life,” Kranbuehl recalled. “‘Now I get it. This is going to help me live.’” Instead, she sank deeper into alcohol abuse, especially in college. Severely depressed, Kranbuehl finally decided to confront her parents about her drinking shortly after her college graduation. With her family’s encouragement and support, she entered substance abuse treatment and began attending meetings with the 12-step pro-gram, Alcoholics Anonymous (Note: Kranbuehl has given us permission to share her story, including her work with AA.) In time and with a lot of emotional and physical work, her life improved. Over the next nearly 20 years, Kranbuehl accomplished numerous personal and professional goals. In addition to successfully maintaining her sobriety, she graduated from law school at William & Mary, clerked for a judge in Tennessee, and worked for a private law practice in Chicago. In between, she also married, had two children, and moved to North Carolina in 2005. If there is any other common thread among all of these milestones, it is that each involved a physical move from one state to another. That kind of frequent change can be difficult for someone in recovery, Kran-buehl said. “Each time I moved, I kept having to find meetings and get re-acclimated to the AA of that place,” she explained. But Kranbuehl had an additional hurdle. She identifies as an athe-ist, so finding a meeting that was not overly religious in tone was often

difficult. Although AA is not associated with “any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution,” its history is rooted in a 20th cen-tury religious movement in the United States and Europe. According to Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, the program relies largely on “self-inventory, admitting wrongs, making amends, using prayer and meditation, and carrying the message to others.” Moreover, half of AA’s 12 steps mention God or a need to turn to a “higher power” to beat alcohol addiction. For a nonbeliever, “it can be challenging to work these steps about God when it doesn’t feel true,” Kranbuehl said. “It doesn’t feel authen-tic, and it’s not meaningful.” For years, counselors and others had suggested that she just ignore the AA content that didn’t fit her life. She tried. But following the move to North Carolina, Kranbuehl said she realized that to maintain her sobriety, she had to find a group that truly met her needs. So in 2009, she decided to launch her own, hoping to reach other nonbelievers in the Triangle area also yearning for an alternative in AA support. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, especially in a southern state in the heart of the Bible Belt. As expected, some AA groups and members criticized the idea and tried to disband the new group. AA doesn’t work without God, opponents claimed. Kranbuehl refused to give up, and “Agnostics and Others” contin-ued to grow slowly. Today, the group hosts about 25 members every Monday at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh on Wade Avenue. The goal is to let people know that “they can be sober in AA without having to accept another’s belief or deny their own belief,” Kranbuehl said. “That’s actually in our agnostic preamble—that you can do this with the belief that you have,” she said. Although agnostic members are still free to attend other meetings and Kranbuehl regularly encourages them to do so, she knows the group is serving its purpose. “A lot of people come in and say, ‘This is the first time I ever really felt that I could share in a meeting. Or I’ve tried AA three times, but I think I can do it with this group.’ It’s really common for people to say that without this group, they think it would be really hard to (follow the program).” Kranbuehl’s work with the agnostic group has convinced her of her place in social work, a profession she said pairs perfectly with her background in law. Long-term, she hopes to work in some capacity with a substance abuse program, a field she is eager to contribute to based on her own recovery and experience with addiction. In the meantime, Kranbuehl is excited about serving on a panel in November at the first international conference of Agnostic AA mem-bers in Santa Monica, Calif. She is also working on an article about her experience and the “society of Christian privilege.” Professor Iris Carlton-LaNey encouraged Kranbuehl to write on the subject after

Two MSW students turn life-altering experiences into advocacy for othersBy Susan White

Karen Kranbuehl started an alternative-to-AA group for agnostics and others who yearn for recovery support without religion.

Although people choose to enter the social work profession for different reasons, at least two current MSW students began their journeys after life-altering experiences that continue to influence them and their advocacy work today.


hearing her speak about it last semester for an assignment in her “Confronting Oppression and Institutional Discrimination” class. She praised Kranbuehl for taking on such an “uncomfortable” topic in a deeply religious state. “…Karen had the courage and the will to demand a service that has historically been reserved for Christians,” Carlton-LaNey said. “But like any good change agent, she realized that she was the solution and became the agency that she, and others, needed.”

Agnostics and Others AA group meets every Monday from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the sanctuary at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Avenue. Open meeting discussion format.

Blake Tedder, Full-time Chapel Hill MSW Program

Tedder understands ableism more than most. As a burn sur-vivor, he’s faced his share of stares from strangers, endured awkward questioning about his scars, and cringed at insensitive

comments or descriptions that depict people with disfigurements as “monsters.” Such acts of oppression are under recognized far too often, Tedder said. “I think the reason you don’t hear a lot about it is because of the very nature and history of the condition,” he explained. “Historically, we used to punish people who were bad or wicked by giving them the physical scarring of burns. We burned people at the stake or punished them because they had to pay for their sins. Culturally, we, as a society, have ostracized those people. So over time, people made the connec-tion that this person must be bad.” Those myths are exactly what Tedder works diligently to dispel from the burn world. His advocacy efforts began in earnest in 2007, six years after the Rocky Mount native and his father, Jerry, survived a

plane crash in the mountains of Aspen, Colo. Both sus-tained burns to 35 percent of their bodies. Because of the severity of their injuries, father and son each spent about three months in the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospital. Tedder, who was just 16 at the time of the accident, underwent 12 skin graft surgeries and had to relearn to walk and talk, and to feed, dress and bathe himself. Over the years, the more his body healed, the more Tedder realized he needed to step up and be a voice for himself and for other burn survivors. Shortly after graduating from UNC with

a BA in psychology and anthropology, he became an active volunteer with the North Carolina burn center and a certified volunteer with the national Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors, an organization that offers peer support to people with burn injuries. “Initially, that was the only way I knew how to cope with feeling different and with looking different,” Tedder said of his volunteerism.

“I needed to empower myself by surrounding myself with people who experienced the same experiences as me. Going through fire is some-thing on the level of spiritual. To experience the pain and the trauma that comes along with those kinds of injuries—it’s really incredible and to have someone to talk to is so important.” In fact, Tedder continues to do a lot of talking. In addition to speaking with nursing school programs around the state over the past seven years, he has helped prepare burned children returning to school and visited countless burn patients and their families at UNC Hospital. Tedder also has participated on panels at the Phoenix Society’s World Burn Congress. A trained yoga instructor, he will lead a yoga work-shop this October during the conference in Anaheim, Calif. Most recently, Tedder presented on the marginalization of burn survivors in Prof. Carlton-LaNey’s class on Confronting Oppression. His instructor was impressed with his commitment to the cause. “He has clearly not taken the victim role and although he has experienced ableism in many of its various forms, he has chosen to be empowered by it,” Carlton-LaNey noted. That confidence and authority also give him the strength to edu-cate others about the realities of the burn world, Tedder added. As a social worker in training, he’s excited to be a part of a field that is built, in part, around the importance of legitimizing individual experiences. Tedder is determined to ensure that the experiences and needs of burn survivors get the attention they deserve in social work practice. “As social workers, you’re going to come across people in clinical settings with burns, especially in abuse cases” and in child protective services, Tedder said. “I really want to educate people in how to be sen-sitive in talking to people about burns…and the importance of linking that community with greater resources, and just giving them more exposure overall. Those are all the things I really feel like as a social worker I can do.”

After being burned in a plane crash as a teen, Blake Tedder became an active volunteer working with and advocating for burn survivors.

20 Contact | UNC School of Social Work 20 Contact | UNC School of Social Work

Alumni Development AwardCrystal Marie Barnes, Kathryn Victoria Kevin

Melvarene J. Howard Adair ScholarshipKaron Falaq Johnson, Travis Thompson Wireback

Jane Hall and William Johnston Armfield ScholarshipKayla Mishay Humphrey, Crystal Kim Randles

Annie Kizer Bost Award Ronald Duringo Hunt

Amy Louise Brannock, MSW Memorial Scholarship FundLauren Taylor Brookshire

Chaney-Jacobs-Preyer AwardMichelle Rene Osborne

Brett Chavis Memorial Scholarship Marie Catherine Funk

Child Welfare Education Collaborative ScholarshipHilary Cissokho, Lena Harris, Melissa Lee Henderson McDonald, Jessica Zollinger

Child Welfare Leadership ScholarshipRon Hunt, Scott Sabatino

Robert and Peggy Culbertson Scholarship Elyse Breland Hamilton

William E. and Catherine M. Cummins Award for Outstanding School Social Work Practice Emily Kate McClimon

Martha Sherrill Dunn ScholarshipBrittany Danielle Hunt

Bertie Oscar Edwards Scholarship Shannon Elise Spillane

Joanna Finkelstein Gorham Scholarship Sara Caitlin Bearden, Olivia Anne Brown, Jasmine Harris, Jillian Elaine Harris, Brendan Timothy Rice, Lindsay Elizabeth Royek

Kirsten E. Hewitt Scholarship Caroline Paige Oxford

Alan Keith-Lucas ScholarshipChristine Engle Alvarado, Tyler Matthew Giese

Jeffrey Langston ScholarshipDenea Monique Sellers

James and Connie Maynard ScholarshipJamie Lynn Alongi, Oprah Cherelle Keyes

Robert Ernest McClernon Memorial FundKathryn Falbo-Woodson, Brittany Stowe Little, SheNita Paulette Mangum

Meehan ScholarshipChelsea Dynea Kolander

Betsy Rogers Millar ScholarshipRoss Marshall Cole, Candice Noel Locklear, Erin Page Magee

Hugh MacRae Morton, Jr. Memorial ScholarshipSonya Sergeyevna Deulina

Jane Curtis Parker Award Dolores Chandler, Jennifer K. Wilburn, Sarah Otto Wood

Joan Phillips-Trimmer ScholarshipBarbara Ray Harviala Rodriguez

Ellen E. Power ScholarshipMonica Rose Ferenz

Kenneth C. Royall, Jr. ScholarshipAnne Mabry Peacock

Janice Hough Schopler Scholarship Emily Ruth Abernathy, Kimberly Autumn Bowers, Nicollette Elizabeth Connelly, Joanna Glee Fullmer, Darlene Shovelle Lewis, Yalitza Akua Ramos, Madeline Julianna Serpa, Caroline Elizabeth Stayer, Heather Ann Todd, Hong Zhou

Social Justice Fund Scholarship Kennetra Keyana Louise Irby

Florence Soltys Memorial ScholarshipDean Allen Fox, II

Springle Memorial ScholarshipChristina Melissa Bullins Pope

Linda M. Summer ScholarshipCourtney Anne Pope

Leah Tannenbaum Scholarship Jennifer Mae Gadd, Tomeko Michelle Moore, Heidi Dale Woodgeard, Denea Monique Sellers

Kristen Marie TenHarmsel Anderson Scholarship Sara Elizabeth Harwood

Smith P. Theimann Scholarship Caroline Reece Phillips, Nadia Sue Rayyan

Walsh-Cioffi Award Nicole Breanne Felkel, Jamie Persons, Derrell Rashad Pettiway, Quinton LaKeith Smith

Ellen Black Winston ScholarshipDeborah Lynn Hughes

2013-14 MSW Scholarships and Awards

Armfield-Reeves Innovation Fund Award (for project entitled, “The Incredible Years Pilot Program for Parents with Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders”)Sarah Dababnah

Carolina Center for Public Services – Community Engagement FellowshipKatie Lyn Cotter

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) / Association for Gerontology in Social Work (AGE SW) Pre-dissertation Initiative Conference Travel AwardChristina Elyse Horsford

Heath Webb Doctoral Research AwardTonya Bloomer VanDeinse

North Carolina Center of Excellence in Youth Violence Prevention (NC-ACE) Pre-doctoral FellowshipCaroline B. R. Evans, Katie Lyn Cotter

Outstanding Doctoral Student Award Katie Lyn Cotter

Royster Society of FellowsShiyou Wu, Todd Michael Jensen

Sam & Betsy Reeves Doctoral FellowshipWilliam James Hall, III, Christina Elyse Horsford, Jane (Jaime) Moore Hughes, Candace Killian Farrell, Wen (Vivien) Li, Brianna Lombardi, Rainier De Vera Masa, Jenna Nicole Tucker, Charity Sneed Watkins, Christopher John Wretman, Shiyou Wu

John B. Turner Dissertation AwardKate Melissa Wegmann

UNC Graduate School Dissertation FellowshipSarah Dababnah Victor Marshall Travel Award through Institute on AgingJane (Jaime) Moore Hughes

2013-14 Doctoral Student Awards



Youcan make a difference

Thank you for your support

Livis Freeman of Chapel Hill is a 1999 UNC alumnus and a member of the School of Social Work’s Board of Advisors.

As the CEO of 4ourFans, Inc., which helps professional athletes with philanthropy, he knows the importance of giving back.

“Being on the Board, I’ve seen first hand how crucial private giving is to the School, and the impact it has on the ability to help underserved individuals, families and communities,” said Livis.

The School needs your support, because only about 40% of our total operating costs are funded by tuition and state dollars.

Please join Livis and make a donation today to our general support fund or a scholarship fund.

Your gift truly makes a difference!

Gifts can be made using the enclosed envelope or online atgiving.unc.edu/gift/ssw

Contact | UNC School of Social Work 21


CongratulationsClass of 2014

The UNC School of Social Work held its 93rd annual commencement on May 10, 2014. Over 1,200 people packed Memorial Hall to celebrate the 133 MSW and six Ph.D. graduates. Gene Nichol, a distinguished professor of law, and the director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, gave the commencement address.

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See our graduation photo gallery and download photos at:www.flickr.com/photos/unc_school_of_social_work



Faculty spotlight

Deborah Barrett Barrett was interviewed on a blog radio show, Living with Hope, hosted by Trudy Thomas. Barrett also had a featured article in the summer 2013 edition of Pain Pathways Magazine, entitled “Paintracking: Finding Comfort,” about touch, temperature and other tech-niques for soothing pain.

Barrett gave a talk on management of chronic pain at the NASW-NC Fall Annual Conference in Asheville in November 2013.

Betsy Bledsoe-MansoriBledsoe-Mansori was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor with tenure as of January 2014. Bledsoe-Mansori presented the work of her team on adapting interpersonal psychotherapy to treat perinatal psychiatric illness in low-income adolescents, at the Fifth Biannual Meeting of the International Society

for Interpersonal Psychotherapy in Iowa City, Iowa. She presented in September 2013, to the N.C. Child Fatality Task Force and spoke at the UNC-Pembroke Healthy Start Corps 3rd Annual Infant Mortality Conference. Bledsoe-Mansori co-authored and published a paper with col-leagues from Virginia Commonwealth University, Catholic University, and the University of Chicago in the Journal of Social Work Education. She also published a paper with colleagues in Social Work Research.

Gary BowenBowen was an invited presenter at the Research Workshop of the Israel Science Foundation on Trauma and the Family, at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv, Israel, in January. Bowen delivered a presentation to invited participants entitled, “Theoretical Perspectives of Family Resilience: The Case of Military Families.”

In December 2013, Bowen also presented with colleagues in the Department of Psychology at Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. They presented their work on the “Social Organiza-tion Theory of Community Action and Change,” including recent work with U.S. military families to model and empirically examine social psychological mediators between structure and action. Bowen was quoted in an Orlando Sentinel story about Camp Cor-ral, which helps children of wounded soldiers. Our School has been providing expertise for Camp Corral since it began in 2011.

Rebecca BrighamBrigham was appointed as the assistant chairperson of the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) Field Council. She was also appointed secretary of the re-incorporated, North American Network of Field Educators and Directors (NANFED). Brigham co-authored an article with colleagues for

Professional Development: The International Journal of Continuing Social Work Education.

Mimi ChapmanChapman’s collaborative project with photographer and UNC alumna Janet Jarman was featured in the April 16 New York Times’ photojournalism site, Lens. The project focuses on sensitizing public school teachers to the needs of the local growing immigrant population. The article also mentioned Chapman’s interdisciplinary UNC grant.

Chapman presented in June at “Global Health and Well-Being: The Social Work Response” about her work in China. She also presented on her visual intervention for teachers, “Yo Veo: How Images Work to Help Us to Think Differently,” at the Annual Conference of the In-ternational Visual Sociology Association at Goldsmith’s College of the University of London in London, England. She co-authored articles for the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, Journal of the Society for Social Work Research, and Journal of Social Work Education. Chapman was elected to the University Hearings and Appeals Committee. She was also invited to serve on the Student Grievance Committee.

Gina ChowaChowa presented on the YouthSave project and its framework for understanding the pathways through which a savings program may contribute to positive health and well-being of youth at the American Public Health Association’s 141st Annual Meeting, in Boston in November 2013.

Trenette ClarkClark was the keynote speaker for the Council on Social Work Education Minority Fellowship Program meeting at the 2014 Society for Social Work Research Annual Convention. Clark was also featured in a January Daily Tar Heel article, “UNC professor studies race, drug abuse.”

Clark also presented her research to faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate students in the African American Youth Wellness Lab in the UNC Department of Psychology in Novem-ber 2013.

Denisé DewsDews was one of 150 competitively-selected social work professionals from across the United States invited to attend a 1.5 day leadership skills-building course funded by the National Cancer Institute and offered in partner-ship with City of Hope, the Association of Oncology Social Work and the Association of Pediatric Oncology

Social Workers.


Continued on p. 26

Jodi FlickFlick presented a workshop, “Suicide: Prevention, intervention, and postvention,” at Catawba Valley Behavioral Health in Hickory. Flick also trained law enforcement officers for several North Carolina counties as part of their crisis intervention training, and she presented training on “Caring for Families and Commu-

nities After a Suicide” at the Youth Health Summit at N.C. State. Flick presented on childhood depression and suicide prevention to the N.C. General Assembly’s Child Fatality Task Force in September 2013. She was quoted in a November 2013 Fayetteville Observer opinion piece, “Editorial-Step In: Child Deaths Require Adult Involvement,” and in an Associated Press article (“NC data show more 10- to 14-year-old deaths”), which was published in the Kansas City Star, Winston-Salem Journal, and Raleigh News & Observer.

Mark FraserFraser gave a keynote address at the “Application and Practice of Resilience in Social Work and Outreach Work with High-Risk Adolescents” conference in Taipei, Taiwan. The Good Shepherd Society of Taiwan spon-sored the event. Fraser spoke on “Risk and Resilience in Childhood,” and also gave a workshop on the Making

Choices program, which teaches social problem-solving skills for children. In March, Fraser also spent a week at the prestigious Oxford University in the U.K. He was part of a global group of about 25 people working on a new CONSORT statement for social and psychologi-cal interventions. CONSORT stands for Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials and encompasses various initiatives to alleviate the problems arising from inadequate reporting of randomized controlled trials. Fraser also helped complete an evaluation for Sweden’s National Board of Health and Social Welfare and helped produced a report, “Satisfaction with Social Welfare Services: A Review.”

Marilyn GhezziGhezzi was selected to serve on NASW-NC’s Peer Review Board, which reviews courses submitted by organizations applying to the Continuing Education Approval/Endorsement Programs to ensure that they are sound, relevant, and appropriate CE opportunities for social workers.

Matthew HowardHoward was a recipient of UNC’s 2014 Distinguished Teaching Award for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction. He was also inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Welfare. The organization, estab-lished in 2009, is an honorific society of distinguished scholars and practitioners dedicated to achieving

excellence in the field of social work and social welfare through high impact work that advances social good. Howard also attended the Harvard Institutes of Higher Education Management Development Program, at Harvard Graduate School of Education. In addition, Howard had an op-ed published in March in the Raleigh News & Observer, “Misusing inhalants, particularly com-puter air dusters, prevalent among U.S. youth.”

Anne Jones Jones, along with faculty colleague Marilyn Ghezzi, and N.C. State Professor Willa Casstevens, organized a group work conference held in March in Raleigh. The event focused on experiential engagement techniques and was the second conference this year sponsored by the new North Carolina International Association for Social

Work with Groups (NC-IASWG) chapter. Jones also presented at the annual conference of the National Council on Family Relations in San Antonio in November 2013, on “Effects of a Relationship Strengthening Intervention for Low-income New Parents.”

Paul Lanier Lanier was awarded a $100,000 grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) RFA, R40 Maternal and Child Health Secondary Data Analysis Studies (SDAS) Program for “Preventing Maltreatment and Promoting Healthy Infant Develop-ment with High-Risk Maternal and Child Populations:

An Effectiveness Study of Nurse Home Visiting.” Lanier will analyze existing data from the Nurses for Newborns home visiting program provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services. Co-investiga-tors are Shenyang Guo and Adam Zolotor from the School of Medi-cine. Lanier was honored with the Outstanding Doctoral Disserta-tion Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). The award was presented during the APSAC Colloquium in June in New Orleans. Lanier presented at the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) 22nd Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., on “Prevention of Child Maltreatment in Early Childhood: The Role of Poverty in Racial and Ethnic Disproportionality.” He also had a co-authored article accepted for publication in the journal, Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care.

Rebecca Macy Macy presented the keynote address at the 2014 Innovations in Domestic and Sexual Violence Research and Practice Conference, held in Greensboro, N.C. She was one of eight people appointed by Gov. Pat McCrory to serve on the North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission. Macy also was honored as the

recipient of WCHL radio’s Village Pride Award, which recognizes and celebrates a “Hometown Hero” each day. Macy and alumna Stacey Sullivan (MSW ’89) were guests on WUNC’s “The State of Things” in September 2013. Macy also was fea-tured in articles in the Daily Tar Heel, Chapel Hill News, Raleigh News & Observer, The Daily Reflector, Endeavors Magazine, and in a report on WCHL radio.

Sherry MergnerMergner is participating in a project to improve services for young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services funded the project with a $900,000 State Implementation Grant.


Gary NelsonNelson was invited to participate in a summit at Harvard called “Growing the Impact Economy.” He represented The Middle Space (TMS) and the School of Social Work at this gathering.

Dennis OrthnerOrthner, an emeritus professor, and Steve Day co-au-thored an article with colleagues in the October 2013, issue of Family Relations. Orthner also co-authored articles for the American Educational Research Journal and Journal of Education Training Studies.

Jack RichmanDean Richman, Clinical Instructor Josh Hinson, MSW students Allie Hill and Erin Magee, and Albert Thrower (MSW ’14) presented to the UNC Board of Trustees in May. They spoke on the School of Social Work’s “Refugee Mental Health and Wellness Initiative,” a collaborative project launched last year with the

nonprofit Church World Service in Durham and the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

Kathleen RoundsRounds participated on a review panel in Dallas to review Title V Maternal and Child Services Block Grants for states in federal Region VI. Rounds and doctoral student Christina Horsford attended a September 2013 White House briefing for social workers entitled, “Addressing the Social Determinants of Health in a New

Era: The Role of Social Work Education.”

Laurie Selz CampbellSelz Campbell and Bebe Smith presented at the 2014 Clinical Update and Psychopharmacology Review in February in Raleigh. Selz Campbell is featured in a music video created by the Arts and Peer Support Group, an arts therapy pro-gram for adults living with severe and persistent mental

illness, to help raise needed funds for the group. She developed this program and is one of the dancers in the video: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/arts-and-peer-support-group.

Bebe SmithSmith spoke at a Crisis Solutions Initiative meeting on Critical Time Intervention (CTI) as a possible solution to some of the problems in the mental health system. She also spoke about CTI at the Durham VA Medical Center’s Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center’s fall conference.

Smith was nominated for an NASW media award for her editorial in the Charlotte Observer, “Putting the Person at the Center of Care.” She also had op-eds published in the Chapel Hill News and the Raleigh News & Observer, was featured in a North Carolina Health News article, and was a guest on WUNC’s radio show “The State of Things”, discussing the loss of Section 8 vouchers in Orange County.

Susan SnyderSnyder published an article in the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research and had articles accepted for publication in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, and Journal of Family Social Work. Snyder presented with colleagues at the 19th Annual

National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Making Meaningful Connections, in New Orleans. She spoke about a project led by Mark Testa, “Formative evaluation: A Case Study of the Illinois Birth to Three IV-E Waiver.”

Kim Strom-GottfriedStrom-Gottfried visited Slovenia and Austria and lectured to the undergraduate, masters and doctoral students of the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Ljubljana. In addition, she was a guest professor at the international doctoral studies (INDOSOW) summer intensive program in Sankt Poelten, Austria, and she

conducted a one-day workshop for Slovenian social work practitioners. Strom-Gottfried also presented at the European Conference for Social Work Research in Bolzano, Italy and she was the keynote speak-er at the celebration of World Social Work Day, an event sponsored by the Department of Social Work, Faculty of Political Sciences, of Sara-jevo University and in collaboration with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was the keynote speaker at the 2014 Alumni and Professional Develop-ment Day, at the Simmons School of Social Work, Simmons College, in Boston. Strom-Gottfried published a new commentary in Ethics Newsline, “Forgiveness vs. Permission.”

Mark TestaTesta was among the speakers at a Capitol Hill briefing in Washington, D.C., to address the “wicked problems” of child welfare, its challenges, and evidence-based solutions. Gov. Pat McCrory appointed Testa to the Perma-nency Innovation Initiative Oversight Committee. His

term runs through June 2015. Testa also served on the workgroup that developed a new publication for The Children’s Bureau, “A Framework To Design, Test, Spread, and Sustain Effective Practice in Child Wel-fare,” a practical guide for strengthening child welfare systems. Testa was featured in a story in the January 2014 edition of NASW News, “Capitol Hill briefing focuses on child welfare” and in “Researchers bring product testing to foster care systems,” published on Science-Daily.com, ScienceCodex.com and MedicalXpress.com.

Marty WeemsWeems conducted a training workshop on cognitive behavioral therapy in community practice for 65 participants in Greensboro in January.

Amy Blank WilsonWilson joined the UNC School of Social Work faculty as an assistant professor in July. Wilson is a former assistant professor at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western University. Her research interests include mental health, serious mental illness and dual diagnosis, service accessibility,


jail reentry, interventions for people with serious mental illness involved in the justice system, and criminal thinking and criminogenic risk in people with serious mental illness.

Lisa de Saxe Zerden Zerden, Josh Hinson, and alumna Arianna Taboada (MSW/MPH ’12) presented their paper, “Carolina del Norte and the New South: Social work practice with new Latino immigrant communities,” at the 12th Annual Social Equity Leadership Conference at N.C. State University.

Zerden also has a new publication with colleagues from Boston University’s Center for Addictions Research and Services in Massa-chusetts and Tapestry Health, a community-based health organization. She co-authored an article in the journal, Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, and co-authored an article with Hinson and Taboada in the journal, Advances in Social Work. Zerden had a letter to the editor published in the Daily Tar Heel in April, on the importance of equal access to contraception and health services for all women.

Sheryl ZimmermanZimmerman was elected to a national leadership post in the Gerontological Society of America, the premier interdisciplinary organization of researchers in aging. Zimmerman is the Social Research, Policy, and Practice Section Chair-Elect. Zimmerman was elected to the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in

Social Work (GADE) Steering Committee. GADE is an organization made up of more than 80 social work doctoral program directors worldwide who represent their member universities. Zimmerman co-authored an article for the journal Health Affairs. She also co-edited a supplemental issue of The Gerontologist (Febru-ary 2014), entitled “Transforming Nursing Home Culture: Evidence for Practice and Policy.” Zimmerman was also quoted in a December 2013, townhall.com article, “Frontline/ProPublica’s Misguided Attack on the Assisted Living Industry Part 2” and in the Fall 2013 edition of Proto Magazine, a publication of Massachusetts General Hospital, in an article entitled, “The New Nursing Home.”

Eight honored with School of Social Work faculty and staff awards

Seven faculty members and one staff member were honored with 2014 UNC School of Social Work recognition awards. They were nominated by colleagues and students in the School of Social

Work, and the awards were presented on April 24 at the last faculty meeting of the academic year. The recipients are:

• Professor Matthew Howard, Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award

• Professor Kim Strom-Gottfried, Excellence in School and University Service Award

• Professor Mark Testa, Excellence in Research Award• Assistant Professor Gina Chowa, Excellence in Doctoral Stu-

dent Mentoring Award• Clinical Assistant Professor Travis Albritton, Excellence in

MSW Student Advising Award• Clinical Assistant Professor Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Excellence

in Teaching Award• Clinical Assistant Professor Bebe Smith, Excellence in Public

Engagement Award• Administrative Officer Dana Caudill, Excellence in Staff

Performance Award Established in 2013, three additional categories were added to the annual award program this year, including one recognizing a staff member. Winners receive a cash award, a personal plaque, and inclu-sion on a newly-installed perpetual plaque located in the lobby of the School. “I am pleased that under [awards committee chair] Dr. Howard’s leadership, we now have a formal mechanism for recognizing the high quality work that is being done here at the School of Social Work by faculty and staff,” said Dean Jack Richman at the awards presentation. “Now and into our future, we will take time each year to honor our own who exemplify the best of the best.”

By Michelle Rogers

Standing, from left: Dana Caudill, Travis Albritton, Mark Testa. Seated: Lisa de Saxe Zerden, Gina Chowa, Bebe Smith. At left: Matthew How-ard, Kim Strom-Gottfried.


School of Social Work continues international collaboration with IndiaBy Susan White

School of Social Work leaders continue to reach out to interna-tional institutions to generate additional opportunities for joint research and teaching.

Over the past year, the School signed a five-year “memorandum of understanding (MOU)” with the Centre for Studies in Rural Develop-ment, Institute of Social Work and Research in Ahmednagar, India. The Centre, which is affiliated with the University of Pune, established a relationship with the School three years ago, having served as a host to UNC students, faculty, and others as part of a study abroad pro-gram. That program generated additional interest in ways the two educational institutions could work together, said Rebecca Brigham, director of the School’s Field Education Program and a study abroad leader. “This MOU created a formal affiliation between our school and the Centre,” she said. “It created an official partnership so that we can explore mutually beneficial opportunities.” The School’s latest inter-national collaboration is the second such alliance with an academic institution in India and joins other partnerships that the School has formed over the past five years with universities in China and Swe-den. The joint efforts enable faculty members from par-ticipating universities to work together on research, grants, and other projects; encourage student and faculty exchanges; and promote training and related activities. Visiting scholar Suresh Pathare, a professor and director of the Centre in Ahmednagar, was among the first to participate in the exchange program. Pathare spent about six months at UNC working on a systematic review of food security issues in the United States and India. In return, Pathare helped facilitate a trip to India in March for School Dean Jack M. Richman. During his visit, Richman signed the Centre’s collaboration agree-ment, met with Centre faculty and students, visited several community agencies, and presented on intervention research at a social work con-ference. However, the main goal of the trip was to develop a research agenda; Assistant Professor Gina Chowa is currently working to secure a grant to partner with Pathare on a project. School leaders also continue to pursue additional opportunities for study abroad and international field placements. A study abroad trip to India is targeted for late 2015 or early 2016, Brigham said. Meanwhile, Priya Chelladurai became the School’s first MSW stu-dent to participate in an international internship. Chelladurai spent the

summer in Delhi on a project called, “Women and Girls Lead Global.” The project, which is being implemented in five countries, including India, focuses “on targeting the root causes of gender-based violence by addressing harmful gender stereotypes, our ideas of masculinity, and the harmful aspects of traditional gender roles,” Chelladurai said. Ultimately, every alliance formed with an international partner helps to “broaden students’ and faculty thinking,” Brigham added. “We have much to learn from other countries about how they ad-dress social problems,” Brigham said. “Also, our students are thinking about their role in the world and how their own world view is formed. International relationships help our students understand how they may need to change their personal perspective in order to work with individuals, families, and communities that are different than what they have personally experienced.”

Research agenda being established, School offers its first international field placement

Dean Jack Richman spoke at the 3rd International Conference on Spirituality and Social Work, in Pune, India. Dr. Suresh Pathare is at right.

Richman and administrators from the CSRD sign the collaboration agreement. Photo courtesy Darshan Mundada.

MSW student Priya Chelladurai, the School’s first international field placement, enjoys sightseeing during a day off.

Three faculty become Society for Social Workand Research Fellows

Professors Gary Bowen, Mark Fraser and Matthew Howard were inducted into the inaugural class of Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR); along with Shenyang Guo,

who was a UNC professor at the time. Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research are SSWR members who have served with distinction to advance the mission of the Society — to advance, disseminate, and translate research that addresses issues of social work practice and policy and promotes a diverse, equitable and just society. The SSWR Fellowship was established by the Society to honor and to recognize current SSWR members for their individual accomplish-ments, leadership and contribution to SSWR as a scientific society. It is anticipated that SSWR Fellows will serve as role models and mentors for individuals pursuing careers in social work research and will con-tinue to actively advance the mission of the Society. Gary Bowen, Ph.D. is a Kenan Distinguished Professor at the School of Social Work. Bowen’s areas of expertise include school success; military families; community capacity building; work, fam-ily, and community linkages; family stress, coping, and social sup-port; adolescent resiliency; and evaluation research. He co-directs the School Success Profile project in the School of Social Work with Natasha Bowen, Ph.D., and Dean Jack Richman, Ph.D. He was named a National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Fellow in 2001 for his enduring contributions to the field of family studies through a career of teaching, scholarship, outreach, professional service and leadership. He served as president of NCFR from 2009-2011. Bowen has published extensively on the social environmental antecedents of school engage-ment and academic success of middle and high school students, as well as on the nature of the work and family interface in the U.S. military. He is currently working on a joint, Department of Defense-sponsored project with the University of Georgia on implementing a community capacity building project directed at providing support initiatives for military members and their families through mobilizing communities. Mark Fraser, Ph.D., is the Tate Distinguished Professor and the associate dean for research at the School of Social Work. Fraser’s areas of expertise include children and families at risk; antisocial and aggres-sive behavior in childhood, early adolescence and adolescence; risk and resilience in childhood; and prevention of conduct problems in

childhood and adolescence. He has co-authored or edited 9 books and more than 130 journal articles and chapters, writing extensively on risk and resilience, child behavior, child and family services, and research methods. Fraser is the editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, which he helped launch in 2009. In 2010, he was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Social Work and Welfare. Fraser developed Making Choices, a curriculum that presents a series of cognitive problem-solving lessons intended to broaden children’s social knowledge and skills for successfully interacting with peers and adults. Making Choices has been so successful that it expanded internationally, and was adapted for use in schools in China. Matthew Howard, Ph.D., is the Frank A. Daniels Distinguished Professor for Human Services Policy Information and the associate dean for faculty development at the School of Social Work. Howard’s areas of expertise include inhalant substance abuse/disorders, sub-stance use among juvenile offenders, alcohol dependence, psychiatric disorders among inhalant users, psychopathy among adolescent female offenders, and integrating evidence-based practice. Howard previ-ously served as the editor-in-chief of Social Work Research, the flagship journal of the National Association of Social Workers; and is currently editor-in-chief of the North American editor for the British Journal of Social Work, a publication of the British Association of Social Work-ers. In 2010, he was elected as a member and Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. In 2013, he was named a Fellow of the Ameri-can Academy of Social Work and Welfare. A renowned researcher and publisher, Howard was ranked #9 by the British Journal of Social Work in its feature, “Influential Publications in Social Work Discourse: The 100 Most Highly Cited Articles in Disciplinary Journals: 2000-09.” He has also received numerous teaching awards and other professional honors during his career. The Fellows were honored at an awards presentation on January 17 in conjunction with the SSWR annual conference in San Antonio, Texas. The Society for Social Work and Research was founded in 1994 as a free-standing organization dedicated to the advancement of social work research. SSWR’s members represent more than 200 universities and institutions from around the world.

By Michelle Rogers

Matthew Howard, Ph.D.


Gary Bowen, Ph.D. Mark Fraser, Ph.D.


Children’s Home Society of America (CHSA) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work have launched a child welfare practice-based research network to

help inform and improve local, state and national policies around child welfare and well-being. “The new research network is comprised of partnerships between universities and CHSA member agencies,” said Mark Testa, Spears-Turner Distinguished Professor at UNC and a national child welfare expert. “Through these practice-based research partnerships, we will identify evidence-informed promising practices in child welfare and evaluate their effectiveness in order to help set a new direction for building innovative and sustainable child welfare systems at the local and state levels, and ultimately, the federal level.” “Our member agencies look forward to expanding work with local universities to help inform child welfare policy to promote evidence-based practice and child well-being,” said CHSA Board Chair Sharon Osborne. “By working with private, public and research partners, we can create lasting, meaningful change for our nation’s children.” The research network was established as an outcome of the groundbreaking national series of institutes called “Wicked Problems

of Child Welfare,” hosted by CHSA and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Social Work. “Wicked problem” is a term coined in the policy sciences to describe a problem that defies ordinary solutions. Since beginning in 2012, the Wicked Problems institutes have convened public and private child welfare leaders, national foundations and the academic community to dis-cuss innovative strategies and best practices to inform and improve national child welfare policy. For more information, visit http://wickedproblems.web.unc.edu.

CHSA and UNC launch research network to inform and improve child welfare policiesBy Michelle Rogers

Mark Testa, Ph.D.

The School of Social Work has received a $100,000 private donation to develop a certification program and a summer

training institute that embrace the teachings of the late Virginia Satir, a social worker and “pioneer of family therapy.” The money will also be used to support re-search into the efficacy of the Satir method and to fund the hiring of a part-time coordinator to help develop and maintain the program cur-ricula and promote the summer institute. Jean McLendon and Regina Ragan, both licensed clinical social workers with Satir Systems in Chapel Hill, will assist the School in developing this new program and institute. The Satir practice model proposes a family communication paradigm, which was developed in the 1960s, and focuses on self-awareness and the discovery of inner strengths to help individuals, couples, and families better cope with stress and change and ways to create more positive relationships with others. “The idea is to recognize and maximize the humanness in every-

body and then to help those people build on those strengths,” said School of Social Work Dean Jack M. Richman. “Today, the concepts of the Satirian model of intervention are being used by businesses and in therapy and private practices all over the globe because so many find it very empowering and motivating.” As proposed, McLendon and Ragan would develop and teach a 7-week master’s level course on the Satir model next spring and then help launch a summer training institute in July 2015. The two- to three-week institute could attract participants from all over the world. Richman said he is particularly excited about the research piece of the project. Although the Satir model has garnered lots of supporters, more evidence and data are needed to show that the approach is successful, he said. “If it’s worth teaching, then it’s worth researching,” Richman said. If all goes well, including the research, the

School will likely explore the idea of endowing the program down the road, he added.

School to develop Satir method certification program and summer training instituteBy Susan White

Virginia Satir


Three receive 2014 Distinguished Alumni Awards

Each year at graduation, the School of Social Work presents the Distinguished Alumni Award as our way of honoring alumni who embody social work values and carry our mission of

service into the world. Alumni can be nominated by peers, faculty members, fellow alumni or students and are chosen by a committee. For 2014 we have three winners: Seanee Garris Alexander, MSW ’99; Mary Deyampert-McCall, MSW ’80; and Chris Estes, MSW ’00.

Seanee Garris Alexander is a 1999 MSW graduate and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She currently works as a school social worker at Broadview Middle School for the Alamance-Burlington School System. In 2011-2012, the student services depart-ment honored Alexander’s work by naming her School Social Worker of the Year. She also has served as a social work field instructor and serves on the North Carolina School Social Work Asso-ciation Board. In addition, she spent several years in early childhood serving as a family services manager for

two Head Start programs in North Carolina. According to one of her former interns and 2014 MSW graduate, Olivia Brown, Alexander deserves this recognition because “she represents social work values

well within the school and community. She is very insightful, resource-ful, and willing to help social workers master empowering skills and pursue professional development opportunities.”

1980 MSW graduate Mary Deyampert-McCall has served as an advocate, activ-ist, educator, consultant and leader. Her dedication to the people of North Carolina is demonstrated by her 30-year tenure in public social services, beginning as a front line worker in Cumberland County and ending as state-wide Director of the Division of Social Services. For 20 years, Deyampert-McCall also served in various capacities with North Carolina Depart-ment of Human Resources. Following her retirement from the state, she spent five years as executive direc-

tor of Contact, a community crisis center in Fayetteville. During this same time, she began working as an adjunct social work professor with Methodist University, where she now serves as a full-time faculty member and field education coordinator in the social work depart-ment. In addition to serving on many state and national groups, Dey-ampert-McCall has also been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the state’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

Chris Estes is a 2000 MSW graduate and current president and CEO of the nonprofit National Housing Conference in Washington, D.C. In his role, Estes works closely with partners and coalitions to make the case for affordable housing and for the development of effective housing policy solutions. Prior to his 2012 appointment to the national post, Estes served for nine years as ex-ecutive director of the North Carolina Housing Coalition, one of the country’s best known state-housing groups. Because his background also includes a master’s degree in

City and Regional Planning from UNC, he has extensive experience in economic development, smart growth advocacy, welfare reform, workforce development, and asset-building research.

By Susan White

Seanee Garris Alexander, MSW ’99

Mary Deyampert-McCall, MSW ’80

Chris Estes, MSW ’00


Honor Roll of GivingThe School of Social Work thanks the many alumni, friends, foundations and corporations who

made financial contributions as gifts or grants for sponsored research between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Thanks to your generous support, our School has become one of the best in the country. We produce leaders in social work education, research, direct practice and community service. Your generosity enhances everything we do. We have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the listing below. If an error or omission has occurred, please accept our apology and notify Mary Beth Hernandez at [email protected] or (919) 962-6469.

Chancellor’s Club

$2,000 or more

Breon G. AllenFranklin Ray AllenBeing Human FoundationNancy BoydBobby Kenneth BoydLane Gillespie CookeDuke Energy Foundation Matching

GiftsDavid Armstrong EdelmanEdelman FoundationFoundation for the CarolinasKathryn HeathMatthew Owen HowardConnie M. MaynardJames H. MaynardAnita Matthews McClernonDaniel Robert McClernonMiriam Ferebee McFaddenPrudence F. MeehanPeter J. MeehanNorth Carolina Community

FoundationMargaret P. ParkerCourtney Kingston PflaumAndy PflaumL. Richardson Preyer Jr.Marilyn Jacobs PreyerElizabeth Webb ReevesSamuel Thomas ReevesRenaissance Charitable FoundationLinnea Weblemoe Smith

Dean E. SmithTriangle Community FoundationH. Thomas Webb III

Howard Odum Founder’s Circle

$1,000-$1,999

Bank of America Charitable Gift FundJames Greer Babb Jr.Mary Lou BabbNatasha Katherine BowenLouise Weeks CogginsStephen Dalton CogginsHeather Barkley CraigeBurton CraigeCumberland Community FoundationPatricia Birdsong EdwardsWilliam Kinsland EdwardsGerry GallionLynette Szabo GreenMegan LaBounty HighsmithThomas Blair HinesMary Laraine Young HinesChristine B. HowellGeorge S. LeightPamela LeightMark LinaughJanice Sweetser LinaughMelinda Johnston McMeekinSandra Greene NiegelskyLeon Stanley Niegelsky Jr.

Jane Forbes PopeCarol R. RichmanJack M. RichmanAnne Register SanfordClifford Weldon Sanford Jr.Philip David SloaneGary Ten HarmselSheryl Zimmerman

Dean’s Club

$500-$999

Barbara K. AllenJudy Atchley-BensonTodd William BarrJessica Simus BarrSusan Hunter BaumannCarl Alfred Baumann IIIMcCray V. BensonCommunity Foundation of

Henderson CountyDana Newman CourtneyJane Wilson CurranH. Allen CurranSusan Benbow DawsonStephen Robert DawsonB. Glenwood Dorman Jr.Dwan Browning DormanChristopher Rowland EdwardsJessica Gillespie GammonDara Kristin Garner-EdwardsPerry Craig Gaskell Jr.Julia Helmes GaskellRobert S. Goodale

Sarah V. JarvisHope KahnDonna Irving LambethThomas Willis LambethPatricia Donovan LarsonMarilyn Pace MaxwellRobert B. McKeagney Jr.Janice Dunn McNeelyPatrick Michael McNeelyPansy McGee MortonDeWitt L. MyersAlice Crosswell MyersMargaret Barranger ReidSchwab Fund for Charitable GivingJames Benjamin Whitaker

Cornerstone Club

$200 -$499

Stephen Henry AndrewsStephen Marc AppellGlenn ArnoldBethany Riddel ArnoldRobert Meyer AumanSarah Young AustinNancy W. AycockTerry Richard BerkeleyL. Worth BoltonThelma Rochelle BosticSuzanne S. BourdessJames Haverson Bradley Jr.Rebecca Burgess BrighamDouglas S. BrighamSloane Boykin Brooks


L. Howard Brooks Jr.Bobby Dale CagleAlmon Franklin CarrL. Dean CassellRuth Dennis CassellEdna Faye Pugh CobbLaurence Arthur CobbJohn ColeLael Jean Cordes-PittsYang-Cha Pak CrabbRia Drapete DancelMarie L Torrey DanforthMathieu Ronald DespardDean F. Duncan IIICharles Raymond DuvalLivis James Freeman IIIGeorge Raymond GambleDorothy GambleSarah Novotny GedneyGeorge M. GottfriedJames GrandstaffChristina GrandstaffJane Marie GressBruce Fraser GurganusSammy Reid HaithcockAlbert Lee HarriettPhyllis Sherman HarriettCarroll Butts HeinsMary Elizabeth Harding HernandezJ. Toby HofflerEugenia Lanier IvyKenan-Flagler Business School

FoundationMary Ann Barnes KimballR. David KimballErik Peter KristiansenJennifer Wilder KristiansenTwala KrugerEdward Anthony LakeBing Sin LauDonald Thomas LauriaMarie M. LauriaJ. Mark LeggettLee Croom LeggettR. Daniel LeighEnnes LittrellLarry R. LoucksDenise B. LoucksMartha Shackford MallingNancy Myers MarvinCamilla Lacy McCleskeyAnnette Peterson McCullersJeannette Johnson McNealEula Hux MillerGeorge Washington Miller Jr.Rebecca ModestoKevin Frank ModestoF. Wayne MorrisElizabeth Anne MulvaneyCindy Hope NgNorfolk Southern Corporation

Matching GiftsThe Owls Nest of NCKerri Lyn Patrick

Richard Stanley PaulesLou Mickey PaulesJim Watkins PhillipsEva Margaret PowellKaren Ann RandolphDeborah M. ReedCarolyn Carruth RizzaSusannah Hall RobertsLeon Sky Rodgers Jr.Kathleen A. RoundsKevin John James SalmonMary Anne Pierce SalmonMichel A. SchadtSiemens Medical Systems, Inc - MGSusan DiCenzo SpringleFlorence A. Stein-BoltonBarbara Jean Massey StellyKimberly Jean Strom-GottfriedJohn Austin Tate IIIPortia LaVerne TaylorFrances Bagwell ThomasAngela Whittingham ToddWilliam Robert TooleJames Grier WallKay Wooten WallJane WechslerLeona Paschal WhichardWillis Padgett WhichardMiriam Willis WhisnantMarcia Lynn WhiteJames Howard WrightElizabeth Wood WrightValarie ZeithamlLauren M. Zingraff

Century Club

$100 -$199

Mary Jo AlexanderRon AlexanderJulia Banner AllenDavid O. AmudaNancy Johnson AndersonGeorge Alan ApplebyJennifer Lynn BaddourJohn Richard BallJonathan R. BeardClara Bond BellAndrea Triplette BenfieldSuzanne Sellers BentleyEdward J. BerosetSonia P. BettezMellicent OBrien BlytheJohn Alexander BlytheLynn Monroe BolickThomas Robert Bonebrake IIConnie Cope BonebrakeGary Lee BowenDonna Green BowenDavid Lee BradshawSidney Preston BradsherPaul Dean Brown

Kevin Leslie BrownBeverly Jo BroylesBetsy BryanJames Alexander Bryan IIKathleen Sullivan BurrusJay Burrus IIIJeffrey Vincent CaiolaCourtney Ellis CaiolaGinger G. CaldwellKate CardozaJared Joseph CatesJoanne Snyder CayeRose Ludmila CichyClorox Company Matching GiftsBarry Duane CollinsLinda Stephens CollinsGloria Pope CookWilliam Calvin Crawford Jr.Allison Anne CrottyLeslee Karen DaughertyCameron Worth DavisMichol DawsonAngela Goodnight DealElizabeth A. DuethmanDana Leette DuncanDouglass M. DurrettPatricia Coffin DurrettJean Maxwell EddlemanCarolyn Cooke ElginElisa Vazquez EnriquezAnn EvansSimona Gabriela FarcasFidelity Charitable Gift FundThomas Al FioreKimberly A. FlairDonna H. FosterJennette Moore FranklinDan J. FreehlingAnnette Morgan GalbreithManuel E. GarciaPatricia McGlone GasparelloJuliana GerenMarilyn Ann GhezziSusan GladinRobert Brian GlennonDarrell Wayne GossMichael Lamar GriffinAndrea Morrow GriffinTracy Alan HallJean Goldfuss HarnedRuth J. HarrisonTrudi Heinrich HatchHolly H. Heath-ShepardWayland Calhoun HedgepethBetty Walker HedgepethRex A. HendersonPeggy I. HendersonCynthia Wynola HighA. Robin HillThomas E. Hill Jr.Henry Hoyt HobbsPhilip Gordon HorneKathryn Lauria HorneDaniel Carter Hudgins

Margaret Rand HudsonJohn E. HumphreyKaren Kirchman HumphreyLynn David IkenberryCarolyn Haigler IkenberryDebbie JenkinsLarry Kyle JohnsonJohnson & Johnson Matching GiftsThomas Francis Kearns IIIMary L. KeselScott Griffin KixmillerBlondine Ingrid KnelsenCarolyn Johnson KochGary Grove KochT. Frederick Koester IIIPeter Richard KramerTheodore Eugene LambMarydine Lentz LambLucy Stephens LancasterJames Howard LancasterCarl Edward LancasterDaniel A. LeboldCarolyn O. LeeKevin Michael LeeMichael Paul LeFebreBarbara Jo LinebergerCharlotte Browning LloydLynette Jones MappesKathryn MarottaGloria Howard MartinJames Nello Martin Jr.Karen Jane MaskellPeggy Robinson MatthewsMitchell White MatthewsDenise D’Amico MaxeyGregory Scott MaxeyChristi Reid McCloudWilliam Carl McCloudWilliam Kirkland McCulloughSusanne Curtis McKinneyAnn Elizabeth McKownCourtney A. MerchantBruce Charles MillerSandra Stroupe MooneyDonna Vail MorganGeorge Emir Morgan IIIMichael J. MortonDouglas Galen MurphySarah M. NaylorPaul Douglas NaylorLinda A. NaylorKen NelsonMelissa Brandt NelsonJacques Anthony NeptuneJoy Richardson NewellLanning Richard NewellGlenina Holladay NolteGrace Ann NordhoffDavid J. NovakMaegen NovakWilliam Francis O’Connor Jr.Dixie Bodge O’ConnorWren Dawson OlivierJennifer Woods Parker


Reynolds Vanstory ParkerJames McNeill Arche ParsleyCarolyn Cutchin ParsleyDebra Jane PelletierStephen Gordon PetlitzWendall Jeffrey PietersenSheila Stone PolinskyConstance Ridgeway PooveyDavid Byron RiceShelia Marie RittgersTana L. RobertsRick G. RobertsAmelia C. Roberts-LewisRonald E. RobillardLarry RosenfeldLawrence B. RosenfeldCynthia Porter RosenfeldLisa R. RuckdeschelBeth H. SauerJoanne ScaturroAnn Fulenwider SchenckPeter Allen Scholle Jr.Sally Christian ScholleElizabeth Hoover SextonEleanor Self ShupingJamie Marie SingerSandra Fry SinkSmiling Spirit Pathways, LLCBarbara Beene SmithKevin SneadPamela Shelton SteppePenelope Smith StifflerMichael L. StoweRobert Ray StumpLaura Rauch SumnerSean Maxwell SumnerMarjorie Warlick TateThe Scmakete Foundation IncBarrie Lewis TiedemannJeanne Froment TiedemannMary Beth TobinCarol Patricia TresoliniSuzanne Columbus Van PeltThomas William Ward Jr.Linda Pilcher WassenichMark WassenichBridget E. WellerBarbara O’Brien WhitleyGeorge Carroll Wilkinson Jr.James William WiseJanet Alexander WoodCarol Young WoodLouise Speight WoodsChristopher John WretmanLyndelia Burch WynnCarol Parks YoungRoy Allison YoungRobin Zalkin-BrownPenny Benson ZiemerCarey Michael ZiemerLisa Shuman Zweifel

Friends

$1-$99

Mary Alice Powell AdamsZumrat M. AhmedjanovaTashuna Delshawn AlbrittonNancy Carol AlfordJames Henry AlixLinda Daymon AlkoveWendy C. AllingThomas Arthur AllredAnna E. AlstonMichael R. L. Alston Sr.Altria Matching GiftsGeorge William AlwonJessie AmmonsMaxine Locklear AmosLouie McDonald Amos Jr.Caroline White ArmstrongMelissa Igdaloff AttarFaith BarnesPaul T. BartlettNancy Spencer BartlettErin Grizzard BassCharles Haywood Bateman Jr.Gail BenderStephanie Eddy BerryJoseph Bond BixlerKatherine Fitzgerald BlackmanSarah Elizabeth BledsoeValerie BondDoranne Neumayer BowmanCharles M. BresciaHeather Cobham BrewerPresley Cours BrightMark Robert BrightDeborah BrilesVirginia BristolWilliam O. BrownLeah Denise Willett BrownNancy Permenter BrownSarah Elizabeth BrunmeierSabrina Jennette BryantNelma Jean BrysonElizabeth BurgessLauren CamusoDorothy Ann CanipeJeannie M. CantrellMichael Carroll CantrellMary Ann CarrDeborah Black CarrollDonald Winfred CarrollHarriet Rosser CarterCurtis Ambrose CashJane CauthenRalph Baker CauthenPajarita CharlesMary Sue CherneyKatie Leiann ChrismonHolly Harkness ClarkRosemary H. Claudy

Laura Struckhoff ClineMelissa Leigh CochranLinda Owens ColeKathryn Anna CookAaron Vernon Cook IIILisa Hooks CookHarry Michael CoreR. Wesley CottenBennett Little CottenDale Smith CoxD. Veronica CreechRichard Verne CrumeYoko Sakuma CrumeLindley Sharpe CurtisAndrea Janette DalportoMargery DanielWayne Ray DavisPollyanna B. DavisKathryn Martin DawkinsDeborah Keith DayMary Amelia DeatonLisa Tirone DeCesarisAllison DeMarcoAmy M. B. DeshlerKaren Church DeVaneSue DickinsonBeth Boyles DietrichDonna DinsmoreHelen Patterson DixonTerry James DodsonPatricia Strickland DodsonVincent B. DoranJohn Benjamin EdwardsMelissa Lynne EllisonCharles Russell EllisonPeter K. EnnsMelissa Oppen EnnsDonald James ErdmanLaura Van Hoven ErdmanCarl J. EricksonJane Emerson EvansJolee Marie FaisonCatherine Read FarrarJulian Walker FarrarJesse O. FearringtonMargaret Kenney FergusJayne Gloster FieldRufus Milton FisherDamen FowlerKenyette Garrett FowlerElizabeth Anne FoxDanny Tracy FrancisStephanie Naylor FrancisJohn Bayliff FrankLori Michelle Frank-CecilWillie Ruth FullerLisa Combs GabelJoan Ellen GallimoreAnne Louise GarrenSharon Rice GatesAlfreda Paschall GeeAvery GibsonElizabeth Bement Gibson

Thomas Michael GiovannelliDorene Sue GoodfriendJames David GoverSue Owen GoverLinda Ann GraneyMarshall Guilbert GravelyGenora Harris GreeneRobert Eugene GringleGary S. GrubbJulianna GyvesChris GyvesMonica Beth Haines BenkheddaHelen Louise HalleckJennifer L. Hardison WaltersEvelyn HardyCarolyn Kirkman HarmonCynthia Barrington HarrisRobert P. Hartsell Jr.George Thomas HaskettVirginia Bardolph HaskettBrenda Green HawksR. Kent HaywoodLindsay Louise HegeAndrew Timothy HeilBeverly Raney HesterDeborah Lowder Hildebran-BachofenJeffrey Maynard HinshawBarbara D. HinshawJan Wood HoaglandGrimsley Taylor Hobbs Jr.Dorothy Alley HobbsCindy M. HoirupD. Melissa HuemmerHugh MacRae Land TrustCharlotte Mitchell HughesJ. Thomas Hughes Jr.Michelle HughesIBM Corporation Matching GiftsRonald IntiniDorothy Taylor IrigarayChristopher IvyJacquelyn Skinner JohnsonLee Strickland JohnsonMarjorie Mae JohnsonGail Harrison JoynerAnn Moss JoynerWendy Bodzin KadensMeryl KanferJessica Lee KatzCynthia Parker KiddGail McNeil KirkwoodKatherine Gebb KnechtRonald Richard KnopfKR SportsDonna Bolick LailGladys Cusley LangdonLauri Hopper LanghamDavid W. LanghamValerie Robertson LanierBrian Darrell LanierRobert H. LawtonJames Raymond Wesley LeonardMarlene Lesson


Thank You

Joan Bardin LesterCaroline Brawley LeviJoy Copeland LinebackMonique Gero LingleGarnett William Link Jr.Marilyn Flynn LinkMary Frances LinkerAngela Dawn LintonEdna McShane LipsonTammy Bryant LocklearAnne Gerth LoganThomas Harvey LoganThomas Michael LouisMary Lilliquist LouisMary Elizabeth LovelaceLinda Schaefer LucasCarol Mace-MillerLakesha MappDorothy Parker MarksSarah E. MasonElizabeth W. MasonHenry C. MasonBetsy Coffey MasseyRoberta Barkoff MayersonVirginia Scoville McClureAlbert Bonner McClure Jr.Carolyn Greene McDonaldV. Paul McDonaldSusan Lee McIntyreLeslie Wagstaff McKayAndrew James McKayTherese Maureen McKinneyJenna MeintsLorraine MessingerMarmaduke Sidney MilesMelanie Pender MillerMark Chaplin MorganChristina Lowry MorganNikki Denise MowbrayR Ann MyersYoshicazu David NagaishiFrances Guynn NewmanNoel Emily NickleAnna Bair NiemitzBruno Anthony Niemitz Jr.

Felicitas Brigitte NoellerTimothy Anders NordgrenShirley Michelson NystromDeborah Thompson OakesDonna Baker OliverAlice Tillman O’NealG. Michael OrndoffLois Perlman OstrowBarry OstrowAnn L. OverbeckMary OwensMary Elizabeth PageEllen Marie PallmeBruce DeVault PalmerMary Matthews ParkMary Jo Ellis ParnellW. Christopher ParnellAllan McMillan ParnellJacqueline Calkins ParrishTheodore Roosevelt Parrish Jr.Leah Renee ParrishDonna Senna ParrishBrenda Lea PearsonM. Noel PellishCharles PennellJoan PennellGregory Eugene PerkinsEugene Louis PerrottaSara Ann Edge PilandHoward Malcolm PilandCaryl Ann PolkJohn Y. PowellFennell PreddyMary Ann Todd PreddyProcter & Gamble Matching GiftsErica RapportBeverly Trumble ReebKaren RhyneJack Wilson RhyneNelson Lamario RichardsonNita Peek RienhartChristy Sizemore RobesonIsaac Alphonso RobinsonCarl Truitt RogersMichael James Rogers

Lorene Williams RogersJudith Sue RothenbergElizabeth Smith RuppLori Caywood SaltzbergJ. Randolph SchenckIngrid Nylen SchenckMagdalena SchijffDavid Alan SchirnerCharles Alan SchoenheitJillian A. SchonfeldIvan Charles SchonfeldSusan ScullyRalph William SeagrovesMargaret Burden SeagrovesMara Julianne ServaitesJames Fleming SheegogSusan ShieldsJoanne Sieving SigmonRussell Grady Sigmon Jr.Emily Barbour SimmonsLarry Wayne SimmonsRebecca Spaugh SinkBrooke Alison Skinner-DrawzMatthew B. SlotkinJennifer Danielle SniderJohn Joseph SoltysKaren Freeland SperatiLisa Ann StaufferVicki Lynn Copeland SteedGaye Nell StyronAnnette SuttonJo Ann McCachern SwartDavid Bruce SykesIsabel Fleming TaltonCora Hodge TaylorSuzan Monroe TeagueMary A. TerzianMark F. TestaCatherine Ward TherrellPhyllis Ann Thomas-ThorpeJudy TravisWalter R. TurnerTammy Gale TyreeSally Fuquay UmbdenstockCharles L. Usher

Teresa Ellen ValliereBerta VasseurBrenda VawterRoger Stephen WaldonAnn Pitt WaldonElaine WalkerBelita Stafford WalkerRoberta Miller WallaceAshley Nicole WardJune Fowler WardTaylor Whitfield WarrenSavanah Banta WarrenTiffany Renee WashingtonPatricia A. WattsSarah Elizabeth WaughWilliam Edward WeddingtonCarolyn Gaither WeeksElizabeth Caplick WeigensbergCharles Bernard Weil Jr.Marie Overby WeilDarlene Haas WellsMarlyn M. WellsRachel L. WertheimerSandra June WestAnn Archer WhiteSterling Hegnauer WhitenerNell Goforth WigginsMargaret WildeM Annette Parker WilesLinda Ruth WilliamsElizabeth Taylor WilsonJeanette Assousa WilsonJudson B. WoodSallie Casey WoodardGwendolyn Davis WoodmanseeChristy Bennett YazanJ. Douglas ZaborGeoffrey Craig ZegerMatthew ZerdenLisa De Saxe ZerdenIrene Nathan ZipperBarry Oser ZipperRonni Zuckerman


1960s

Peter C. Reichle, MSW ’62, DrPH ’76, retired as a professor at Ap-palachian State University. He came there in 1974 to teach in health education and later in social work and Interdisciplinary Studies-Watauga Global Community. He was particularly known for his classes in teacher preparation, building relationships and community and his student travel courses: Savannah, Ga., and Hopi/Navajo class travel to these nations in the southwest. In retirement, Reichle continues to be involved in thanatology and his Native American travel.

1970s

Rosamond “Ann” (York) Myers, MSW ’71, retired on June 30, 2013, after over 40 years on the faculty at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. She was head of the social work department from 1989 until her retire-ment. Most recently, she co-chaired the successful

SACSCOC Reaccreditation for JMU. She was selected as the first recipient of the Outstanding Baccalaureate Social Work Director Award given by the Association of Baccalaureate Social Work Program Directors in 2005. She functioned as a site visitor and chair for CSWE for 20 years and as a member of the Committee on Curriculum and Educational Policy for six. In September, she started working again with the university, as the faculty credentialing coordinator — a new position linked with university accreditation.

Harriott Quin, MSW ’73, MDiv, is a retired minister and provider of services for homeless and battered women. She traveled from her home in Boulder, Colo., to Raleigh in June 2013, to take part in a Moral Monday rally. “[I] had lived in N.C. for 25 years and worked in the late 60s and 70s with the activist black community in Durham. I felt I had returned to the 60s in the South as I listened to the speakers and joined in the caring participants. Hope the impetus on behalf of compassionate laws continues,” she said.

1980s

Drew Pledger, MSW ’88, LCSW, was elected to the National Associa-tion of Social Workers (NASW) National Board of Directors. Pledger is a school social worker and coordinator of mental health services for Wake County Public Schools.

1990s

Jessica Burroughs, MSW/MPH ’98, through her volunteer advocacy work with MomsRising, was the key point person who planned a Mar-tin Luther King Jr. Day celebration for children and families. She was featured on local television show, My Carolina Today.

Bobby Cagle, MSW ’98, is the commissioner of Georgia’s State Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL). Georgia is one of six states awarded funding through the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, a $280 million state-level competitive grant administered by the U.S.

Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services to improve early learning and development. Georgia received a four-year $51.7 million grant, the highest amount awarded among the six grants. Governor Nathan Deal designated DECAL as the lead agency and applicant for the grant on behalf of the state. The grant includes a variety of projects, all of which focus on improving services to Georgia’s children from birth to age 5 and their families.

Cedar Koons, MSW ’93, was featured in a story in the July 2013 edition of NASW News, “Practice promotes specialty: Santa Fe Dialectical Behavior Therapy trains social workers.”

Sasha Loring, MSW ’92, presented a workshop in the Chapel Hill area on Jan. 18, “Taking a Deeper Look: Guided Experiences for Revealing Obstacles to Attaining a Healthy Weight, and Learning Essential Aspects of Healthy Eating.”

Tina Moore, MSW ’96, a school social worker at Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill, was selected as the 2012-13 Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School District’s Exceptional Children/Student Services Staff Member of the Year. Moore was honored at the district’s annual recognition reception in May 2013.

Gary Skinner, MSW ’97, was appointed by Bishop Michael Burbidge to be the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Raleigh, after 12 years as assistant director. Skinner’s new role includes defining, refining and prioritizing aspects of Catholic Charities,

while also increasing the organization’s visibility.

Rear Admiral Penelope Slade-Sawyer, MSW ’92, was appointed director of the North Carolina Division of Public Health, effective March 3, 2014. Prior to her new appointment, Slade-Sawyer served as assistant surgeon general at the U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services in Washington, D.C.

Matt Slotkin, MSW ’94, and wife Ellen Pizer welcomed their second son, Gideon Shai Slotkin, on Aug. 12, 2013. Gideon arrived via natural birth at 8:17 a.m., weighing 7 lbs., 4 oz. He joins his older brother Levi. Slotkin has a coaching/psychotherapy practice and a law

practice in Durham.

2000s

Chase Bannister, MSW-M.Div. ’06, of Durham, was featured in the May 2014 edition of NASW News’ “Social Work in the Public Eye” section, and in the Windy City Times in March, for his work as a certified eating disorder specialist. Bannister gave a presentation on eating

disorders within the LGBTQ community as part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. He is vice president and chief clinical officer at Veritas Collaborative, a specialty behavioral health hospital for young people and an eating disorder treatment center.

Alumni update


Continued on p. 38

Marcie Fisher-Borne, Ph.D. ’09, was featured in a WNCN-TV news story that aired in July 2013 on the prohibition of same sex marriage in North Carolina. She and her spouse are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the state.

Tanya Smith Brice, Ph.D. ’03, was named dean of the School of Education, Health and Human Services at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C. The School includes the following units: Office of Teacher Education; Education, Child and Family Studies Department;

Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department; Social Work Department; and the Military Science Program Department.

Rachel Buchanan, Ph.D. ‘08, an assistant professor at Salisbury Uni-versity (Salisbury, Md.), was named the graduate program director for the Social Work Department.

Devon Corpus, MSW ’01, helped the Crisis Intervention Team International Annual Conference, in October in Monterey, Calif. CIT is a collaboration between law enforcement and behavioral health to help mentally ill consumers get the appropriate help they need during a

crisis situation. Nearly 1,200 people were expected to attend. Corpus was quoted in a July 2013 Salinas Californian newspaper article, “Mental Health Experts Debate Tendencies.” Corpus is the crisis team supervisor with the Monterey County Behavioral Health Bureau.

Eric Garland, Ph.D. ’09, was awarded a $670,000 R34 grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to conduct a randomized control trial of mindfulness-ori-ented recovery enhancement as a treatment for chronic pain and prescription opioid misuse in active duty

soldiers at Fort Carson, Colo. Garland is an associate professor at the College of Social Work at the University of Utah; and associate director of Integrative Medicine Supportive Oncology Program at the Hunts-man Cancer Institute.

Johanna Greeson, Ph.D. ’09, an assistant professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, is working to reform the child welfare system for children who, between the ages of 18-21, are aging out of foster care. To showcase the issue, Greeson

and Richard J. Gelles, the dean of the School, co-organized a National Summit on Youth Aging Out of Foster Care at Penn in May. The summit brought together practitioners, researchers, advocates, lawmakers and students, as well as current and former foster care youth. Greeson also was awarded a two-year $133,576 grant for a pilot test of “Caring Adults ‘R’ Everywhere (CARE): A Natural Mentoring Intervention for Older Youth in Foster Care.”

Melissa Johnson, MSW ’02, was married to attorney Damon Todd Hewitt on Sept. 21, 2013, at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Fellow alumna Annanora Short, MSW ’01, was a bridesmaid and Ebon Freeman James, MSW ’02, was a guest at the wedding. Johnson is the

senior director of foundation relations at the NAACP. Her husband is the director of education practice at the NAACP Legal and Education-al Defense Fund.

Anna McCullough and Tim Schwantes, both MSW ’07, welcomed their first child, son Sam Turner Schwantes, on May 25, 2013. “Because Anna and I met in the SSW, we felt like it was only fitting that a part of his name would be connected to the School, and John Turner had such a

large impact on getting the School where it is now, we picked it for his middle name,” said Tim. John Turner, Ph.D., was a former dean. His career in social work spanned more than 40 years and his efforts and leadership helped earn national recognition for the School. The Tate-Turner-Kuralt building is named after him.

Zachary Lutwick and Mollie Neumann Lutwick, both MSW ’05, welcomed daughter Maya Franklyn Lutwick on June 10, 2013, in Charlotte. Maya joins older brother Samuel, 3. Zach is employed by Carolinas HealthCare System in the Corporate Quality Division, and Mollie is

currently a stay-at-home mom and a fitness trainer at the Harris YMCA and Levine JCC.

Lee Chaix McDonough, MSW/MSPH ’03, LCSW, began a new posi-tion in July 2013, as the community support coordinator for the 52nd Fighter Wing, at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. Her primary duty is identifying and responding to the needs of Spangdahlem Airmen and their families, serving as a liaison between wing leadership and all of the helping agencies on base. She is also responsible for managing wing resiliency training programs and conducting community needs assessments. Her husband has been stationed in Germany for two years, and they expect to be there two more years.

Jenny Nicholson, MSW ’03, is working as the associate creative direc-tor at advertising firm McKinney in Durham. As part of her job, she works with pro-bono clients, the primary one being Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD). Recently she worked on a new marketing cam-paign and website for UMD, in which the organization sells naming rights to all of the items in the building that provide food, shelter and a future for those they serve. Names for Change is an immersive online experience that teaches about homelessness and offers the naming rights to the hundreds of items UMD uses to rebuild lives in Durham. From teddy bears to deodorant, cans of vegetables to caseworkers, naming rights are available at namesforchange.org, a site that im-mortalizes even the smallest items’ large impact on the life of a person facing poverty and homelessness.

Kim Petrilli-Parker, MSW ’05, was named the new executive director of the March of Dimes, Austin, Texas, branch.

Shweta Singh, Ph.D. ’05, has edited a new book, “Social Work and Social Development: Perspectives from India and the United States,” published by Lyceum Books. Singh is an associate professor of social work at Loyola University Chicago and an associate faculty member of

the women and gender studies department. Her current research projects focus on issues of migration, work, education, and mental health in developing countries and issues of identity in women and girls. Her international work includes assignments with UNICEF, OXFAM, and CII.

Karla Siu, MSW ’03, LCSW, was featured in the News & Observer in August 2013, as the Tar Heel of the Week. Karla is a therapist with the nonprofit El Futuro in Durham, where she helps immigrants struggling with mental health problems.

Sabrina Sullenberger, Ph.D. ’03, was named the program director for the BSW Program at Belmont University (Nashville, Tenn.). Sullen-berger was previously the interim associate dean at Indiana University School of Social Work.


2010s

Deanna Davis, MSW ’13, began a new position as the program counselor for Upward Bound at UNC-Chapel Hill. In this role, she focuses on holistic development in the youth they serve, providing students counseling in personal, career, and academic areas as well as referral

services. Davis brought a vast amount of experience, having served with the Guilford County Department of Social Services, the UNC Center for Student Success and Academic Counseling, and the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate Program through Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

Christina DeNard, MSW ’10 and Dawn Wilson, MSW ’90, were fea-tured in a UNC spotlight story that appeared on the university’s home page, “Success Coaches Keep Families Together.”

Sandra Forrester, MSW ’13, worked for six months as a volunteer legal advocate in Guayaquil with Asylum Access Ecuador.

Annie Francis, MSW/MPA ’11, joined the UNC School of Social Work as a clinical instructor and the coordinator of student affairs. In this role, Francis works to maintain and further develop student programs such as academic advising, professional development, leadership training

and student orientation. She also serves as a plan of study advisor, guiding students through curriculum policies and procedures as they complete their plans of study.

Laurie Graham, MSW ’11, programs director at the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, was recognized in May 2013, at the biannual statewide North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault conference. NCCASA awarded Graham with the Peer Support Award in

recognition of her dedication and devotion to ending sexual violence. Graham is committed to strengthening support group services throughout the state, and is working with NCCASA on a special project to develop a training program and manual for other rape crisis centers and nonprofit agencies to learn how to create, improve and manage support group programs.

Marbeth Holmes, MSW ’14, was featured in The Rocky Mount Telegram in May for winning the School of Social Work’s Mary Jane Burns Book Award for Excellence in Clinical Social Work. Holmes is a professor at Nash Community College.

Erin Krauss, MSW ’11, was awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship to Mexico in social work, the United States Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board announced. Krauss worked in Chiapas, Mexico, to strengthen skills in

cross-cultural social work methodologies and to gain specialized, high-level language training, to better serve the Latina/o immigrant population she works with in North Carolina.

Grace Lee, MSW ’12, is currently doing full time volunteer/ministry work in China for people with leprosy. “In February of 2013, God gave me the awesome opportunity to start volunteering in the leprosy colo-nies of China,” wrote Lee. “China has about 600 leprosy colonies with about 240,000, abandoned (mainly elderly) people, who need both physical help and spiritual help.”

Nick Lemmon, MSW ’12, was quoted in an April Daily Tar Heel ar-ticle on a Chapel Hill Town Council meeting about the cost of living in Chapel Hill. Lemmon works at the UNC Department of Psychiatry.

Allison Norman, MSW ’14, was featured on UNC’s Campus Y blog in May post entitled, “Made With Love Bakery’s Allison Norman on Graduating.”

Reiss Powell and Jane Stewart, both MSWs ’13, married in November.

Susannah Walker-Richmond, MSW ’12, was married in October 2012 and moved to Canada with her husband, who is originally from Saskatchewan. She is working in Regina, Saskatchewan, as the director of programs at North Central Family Centre, working with the Native community of North Central Regina. She is also an adjunct instructor at First Nations University, where she taught Indigenous Social Work 200 last fall.

Cindy Porter Rosenfeld, MSW ’13, presented at Humane Lobby Day in April, at Watauga Humane Society in Boone, N.C. She presented information on the Commer-cial Breeder Bill (HB 930) to the group, which included Ashe County-Watauga County State Rep. Jonathan

Jordan.

Sara Skinner, MSW ’13, is working at Carolina Outreach, LLC as an intensive in-home and outpatient therapist for Spanish-speaking youth and families. Skinner was selected along with four other therapists in her agency to enroll in the North Carolina Child Treatment Program’s 2013-14 Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Learning Collaborative.

Kimberly Jinorio Swanson, MSW ’12, of Durham, is now employed with Housing for New Hope as a permanent supportive housing as-sistant property manager.

Jessica Lambert Ward, MSW ’12, was named the assistant director for student compliance in the Office of Student Affairs at the UNC School of Nursing. Ward and husband Shaheem also welcomed son, Micah David Ward on April 14, 2013. He weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz. and joined his

big sister, Kyla Jade.

Tiffany Washington, Ph.D. ’13, was awarded the 2014 Student Award for Social Work Research, from the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work (GADE). Washington was honored for her paper, “Fidelity Decision-Making in Social and Behavioral

Research: Alternative Measures of Dose and Other Considerations,” which will be published in the journal Social Work Research. Washing-ton is now an assistant professor at the University of Georgia School of Social Work.

Melea Rose Waters, MSW ’13, wrote a post featured on WRAL-TV’s “Go Ask Mom,” blog. Her piece, entitled, “So Long, Sales Tax Holiday,” addressed how the elimination of the sales tax holiday and other recent tax reforms affect North Carolina families who are struggling financially. se

Waters also was a guest blogger on CarolinaParent.com.


Boyd Wilson, MSW ’13, started a new position in May as a psychotherapist/substance abuse counselor at 3-C Family Services, P.A., in Cary. 3-C is a private practice of psychologists, psychiatrists and other counseling professionals.

In Memoriam

Dr. Bill D. Brittain, 77, MSW ’65, passed away peacefully on Oct. 6, 2013, at the Dunlap Hospice Facility in Raleigh. He was the founder of Lutheran Family Services of the Carolinas, which grew to be the largest private child and family services agency in the state with

programs ranging from foster homes to international adoption services, refugee resettlement, prison ministry and group homes for children who were medically fragile, HIV positive or aggressive and violent. He received numerous awards and honors for his work with children including an Distinguished Alumni Award (2000) from the UNC School of Social Work, and an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C.

Dorothy Phillips Cansler, 88, MSW ’66, of Chapel Hill, died Jan. 7, 2014. Once her three children were school age, she received her MSW at age 40. Cansler became interested in the needs of families with handicapped children, and focused her work in this area of service for

the next 25 years.

John Toby Hoffler, Sr., 69, MSW ‘97, of Folkston, Ga., passed away at his home on July 8, 2014. Hoffler proudly served his country in the United States Marine Corps and the Navy. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, American Legion, the Vietnam Veterans Association and the Khegan Association; and was a longtime member of the UNC School of Social Work’s Alumni Council.

Jackson Sylvester Hoyle, 86, MSW ’55, of Winston-Salem, died Jan. 3, 2014. Hoyle devoted his life to helping others through his work, church, and community involvement. He was the director of the Social Work Department at the Methodist Children’s Home in

Winston-Salem for 20 years and the director of social work, director of admissions, administrator, vice-president of health Services, and interim director for The Baptist Retirement Home of North Carolina for 14 years.

Martha June Lamb, 88, MSW ’60, died June 8, 2013, at her home in Asheville. She led an adventurous life, going to Japan in 1950 to work with casualties of the atomic bomb explosion. She returned to Japan after studying social work and worked as a medical social worker until 1968. She continued to travel and live a life of service to others in Florida and Asheville.

Stephen Russell Lewis, 61, MSW ’92, died June 15, 2013, at his home in Hendersonville, N.C. He was a team leader inspecting extended care facilities.

Rachel Bolvi McGhee, 28, MSW ’09, of Miamisburg, Ohio, died on Sept. 7, 2013, after a long and courageous battle with brain cancer. She was employed by Agape for Youth as a reunification services specialist.

Lucia “Lou” Randall Owensby, 81, MSW 1967, passed away on March 3, 2013, in Charlotte. She taught social work at Queens Col-lege for a decade and was a marriage and family therapist in private

practice for almost 20 years. With two of her clients, Lou developed a program to address debilitating anxiety and agoraphobia, founded a company (CHAANGE) to promote this program and found herself on the lecture and interview circuit across the country, even appearing on the Phil Donahue, Larry King and Oprah Winfrey shows.

Margaret Mebane Parker, MSW ‘60, died March 1, 2014. See story on p. 42.

Robin Lear Peacock, MSW ’72, died Dec. 11, 2013, at home in Raleigh. A native of Chapel Hill, she resided in Raleigh since 1972. In addition to her involvement in many volunteer activities throughout her adult life, she was employed for 28 years as a social worker, first with the Wayne County (N.C.) Department of Social Services and, later, with the North Carolina Division of Social Services, where she was supervisor of adoptions until her retirement in 1992.

Andrew Popoli, 70, MSW ’67, died July 20, 2013, at Self Regional Medical Center, Greenwood, S.C.

Donald DuBosq Rhodes, Jr., 60, MSW ’02, of Raleigh, died Aug. 23, 2013. Rhodes was employed by the Veterans Administration for eight years, and most recently by A Plus Results in Plymouth, N.C., as an addiction counselor. His passion was helping people.

Charlotte Brewer Ruth, 68, MSW ’90, died of ovarian cancer, at her home in Chapel Hill on May 23, 2013. Her husband and two children were beside her. She previ-ously worked as a psychiatric social worker at Butner Hospital, Duke and OPC.

Robert Alan Schaaf, MSW ’85, died on July 9, 2013. He spent his entire professional career as a social worker for Montgomery County in Rockville, Md.

Jo Ellen Stallings Short, 75, MSW ’62, of Burlington, N.C., passed away March 16, 2014, at her home after a sudden illness. She is sur-vived by her husband Joseph Short, a 1959 MSW graduate.

Ruth Hazel Staley, 96, MSW ’41, of Charlotte, passed away May 30, 2013. Staley lost her sight when she was 2 years old as a result of men-ingitis, and she graduated from the Morehead School for the Blind in Raleigh. She became an advocate and role model for generations and later followed her heart by achieving an MSW.

Margo Denise Tesch, 57, MSW ’81, of Murphysboro, Ill., passed away on Nov. 30, 2013. She was executive director of the Association of Retarded Citizens in Chapel Hill, and then was a school social worker in Chapel Hill. After coming to Murphysboro in 1999, she was employed by

Tri-County Special Education District as the school social worker at De Soto Grade School. There, she spent almost 15 years advocating for the children of that school and community.

Virginia Newsome Vaughan, 67, MSW ’71, of Decatur, Ga., passed away peacefully in her sleep on Nov. 13, 2013. An active community volunteer and supporter, she touched many lives throughout her career as a social worker in and around the Decatur area.

Jacqueline Paris Vogel, 83, MSW ‘ 74, of Tappahannock, Va., died May 31, 2013. She formerly worked in Raleigh at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Ser-vices until her retirement.

39


Clinical Lecture Series celebrates 10 years, announces new eventsBy Deborah Barrett and Michelle Rogers

The UNC School of Social Work’s Clinical Lecture Series offers lectures on mental health topics to enhance the clinical curricu-lum for students and continuing education for graduates and

practitioners. It also aims to foster and strengthen relationships among students, faculty, and the wider clinical community.

Chapel Hill series celebrates its 10th year Our Clinical Lecture Series will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this year by bringing back some of its most popular presenters. Since 2005, the Clinical Lecture Series has hosted or co-hosted approximate-ly 100 programs, bringing together more than 10,000 individuals. The lunchtime model allows MSW students, faculty, and area clinicians to learn together from esteemed and innovative practitioners. The lectures will be held monthly on Mondays from noon-2 p.m. in the School’s auditorium, beginning in September. Registration and a catered meet-and-greet reception open at 11:15 in the lobby. The 2014-15 dates and working titles are:• Sept. 22 – Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D. and Mary Brantley, LMFT, “Positive Emotions: The Science Behind Them and Practices to Change Your Life”• Oct. 20 – Meggan Morehead, Ph.D., “Dialectical Behavioral Therapy: What’s New?”• Nov. 10 – Jon Abramowitz, Ph.D., and Ryan Jane Jacoby, “ACT and Exposure Therapy: A Combined Approach to Enhance Treatment Engagement”• Jan. 12 – Reid Wilson, Ph.D., “A CBT Rapid-Gain Model in Anxi-ety Disorder Treatment”• Feb. 2 – Eric Youngstrom, Ph.D., “Treatment of Bipoloar Depres-sion”• March 2 – Tonya Armstrong, Ph.D., “Cultural Competence and Spirituality”• April 13 (2-4 p.m., in conjunction with Career Day) – Kim Strom-Gottfried, Ph.D., “Ethical Dilemmas with Colleagues” Most of the recent presentations are available for viewing online at the CLS website. The series is also in the process of making more videos and handouts available from prior workshops and working to award CEU credit for these as recorded webinars. The School is con-sidering ways to add to CLS offerings in the form of larger workshops and/or conferences. These will likely draw from a mix of new present-ers and top CLS presenters from years past. If you have questions, contact Deborah Barrett at [email protected].

“Focus on Family and Disability” series launches in September Created by the Family Support Program at the UNC School of Social Work, this series will be held on five Tuesdays from noon-2 p.m. Registration and a catered meet-and-greet lunch open at 11:15 a.m. in the School’s lobby. The 2014-15 dates and working titles are:

• Sept. 9 – Michelle “Sheli” Reynolds, Ph.D., “Charting the Life Course Framework: Supporting Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families Across the Lifespan.”

• Oct. 14 – Chris Egan, MSW, LCSW, “New Directions in Disability”• Nov. 11 – Ann Turnbull, Ed.D. and Rud Turnbull, JD, LLM, “Family

Support and Disability” • Jan. 13 – Sherry Mergner, MSW, LCSW, “The Parenting Spectrum:

Challenges and Gifts of Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder”

• March 17 – Ann Palmer, “Realizing the College Dream with Autism Spectrum Disorder”

These lectures will be recorded and made available on the Family Support Program website at www.fsp.unc.edu. If you have questions, contact Barbara Leach at [email protected].

Winston-Salem series to continue Now in its third year, the School’s Winston-Salem 3-Year MSW Program hosts a Clinical Lecture Series in Winston-Salem. Their suc-cessful partnership with Northwest AHEC will continue this year, to meet the needs of professionals in the Triad and surrounding area. The School and Northwest AHEC have scheduled four lectures for the 2014-15 academic year. All are on a Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Northwest AHEC, and registration is required.• Sept. 3 – Gus Thomas, D.Min, LPC, NCC, “Caring for the Combat Veteran in the Community Setting”• Oct. 22 – Samuel B. Gray, Psy.D., “Motivational Interviewing with Adolescents”• Jan. 28 – Jodi Flick, ACSW, LCSW, “After a Suicide: Responding to Families and the Community”• March 4 – M. Theresa Palmer, LCSW, LMFT, “Microaggression as an Ethical Issue in Clinical Practice” If you have questions, contact Theresa Palmer at [email protected].


Register online at cls.unc.edu


A n annual donation to the UNC School of Social Work is helping to attract and retain top graduate

students. Over the last five years, Sam and Betsy Reeves of Fresno Beach, California, have contributed over $1 million to the University to support social work doctoral students. The doctoral program admits between four and six new students annually and has a total enrollment of about 35. In previous years, it was challenging to recruit the top applicants because UNC was not able to guar-antee them continued financial support. The ability to offer multi-year funding at a competitive level significantly enhances UNC’s program.

This year’s gift enables the School of So-cial Work to offer four doctoral students two years of financial support. The fellowships cover the cost of in-state tuition, health insur-ance and a nine-month academic stipend. Faculty grants will help fund years three and four. In exchange, students assist with teach-ing and research, and develop their related skills in these activities. A 1956 alumnus of Carolina, Reeves is the owner of Pinnacle Trading in Fresno. In 2007, the couple donated $1 million to the UNC School of Social Work to establish the

Sandra Reeves Spears and John B. Turner Distinguished Professorship and the Armfield-Reeves Innovations Fund.

Reeves family gives additional $250,000 to doctoral program

Betsy and Sam Reeves

By Michelle Rogers

Outstanding Doctoral Student named

Two join School’s Board of Advisors

Katie Cotter is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Doctoral

Student Award. Cotter received her MSW from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2011, and entered our doctoral program that fall. She was presented her award in May at the doctoral program gradu-ation reception, by Sheryl Zimmer-man, associate dean for doctoral education. Zimmerman offered the following comments that evening: “Katie has an excellent grasp of so-

cial work theory, and her methodological and statistical skills are top notch. She has a knack for taking complex statistical concepts and procedures and making them understandable to others. Katie is a quick study who has high potential for future scholarly contributions to the social work knowledge base. She is in the top tier of doctoral students who have graduated from our program, and she shows all the signs of a highly promising research scholar. Katie is a quiet go-getter. In addition to writing her qualify-ing paper and dissertation proposal, she taught a statistics class at A&T, audited a PhotoVoice class, served as a teaching assistant for an MSW course, co-ran six seminars on social justice for MSW students, applied for and received a $2,000 grant, and was accepted to teach this summers’ online Apples course. Given the myriad activities that she participates in, it is astound-ing how many articles Katie has co-authored. She is currently an author on 13 manuscripts that are published, in press, and under re-view. The life of a doctoral student is very stressful, but Katie always has a smile and a kind word of encouragement to help keep us all going.”

Liza Gellerstedt and Mary Lane Len-non were appointed as new members

to the School of Social Work’s Board of Advisors this year. Gellerstedt, MSW ’10, is a central intake manager at DeKalb Community Service Board, a community-based behav-ioral health and developmental disabilities services organization in Atlanta, Ga. She also serves as the secretary of the Georgia Society for Clinical Social Work. Prior to her current position, Geller-

stedt worked as a disability counselor with Meredith College in Ra-leigh, as a crisis counselor with the Chapel Hill Police Department, and as a therapist with Holly Hill Hospital in Raleigh. She received a B.A. degree from UNC in art/history. Originally from Charlotte, Lennon graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a B.A. degree in history, and from the University of Tennessee, where she earned an MSW. After working in the field for five years, Lennon returned to Charlotte with her husband Tom. During these years, she fo-cused on raising her two children, worked closely with her church and served as PTA president at Rama Road Elementary and East Mecklenburg High School. Lennon currently serves as a Guardian ad Litem in Mecklenburg County. Currently, 50 professionals serve on the School’s Board of Advi-sors, which meets twice a year. The board works with the School to enhance the perception of the social work profession and to promote the stature of the School.

Liza Gellerstedt, MSW ‘10

Mary Lane Lennon

By Michelle Rogers By Susan White

Sheryl Zimmerman and Katie Cotter


Family establishes scholarship in memory of faculty member Teresa Ilinitch

Donor adds to scholarship serving students interested in military social workBy Susan White

Margaret Mebane Parker, MSW ’60, was determined to help students interested

in pursuing military social work. And in 2012, thanks to her generous donation to UNC’s School of Social Work, a scholarship was established to do just that. Eager to do even more, Parker doubled her contribu-tion late last year, bringing the total value of the fund to $118,000. Her generosity now serves as a lasting tribute to a former clinical social worker who deeply cared about improving the lives of our country’s

military veterans. Parker died March 1. Mary Beth Hernandez, the School of Social Work’s associate dean for advancement, praised Parker’s commitment to social work educa-tion. “The number of students who are interested in military social work has increased over the last few years, and Ms. Parker’s gift will enable us to support them in their work,” Hernandez said. “We’re so grateful for her support.” Parker’s own professional experiences influenced her decision to help others interested in a similar career. As a new clinical social worker at the Salem Virginia Veterans Hospital in the mid-1960s, Parker saw first-hand the mental and physical effects of war on young soldiers, including those who struggled with brain injuries or substance abuse addiction. Many of today’s U.S. veterans, especially

those coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, face similar challenges, Parker said in an interview in 2012. As a result, many more social workers are needed to care for these wounded warriors and to help them successfully transition back to civilian life, she added. “Seeing the impact on so many of those young boys coming home from Vietnam, some of whom I worked with who are now in nurs-ing homes, I know what it’s going to cost to treat all of these people, including their families,” Parker said in the earlier interview. “So I understand the need (for mental health and social work practitio-ners).” Parker, who earned a sociology degree from UNC in 1954, was employed with the departments of public welfare in Lee and in Alamance counties prior to enrolling at the School of Social Work. She credited a couple of classes with Dr. Alan Keith-Lucas, a pioneer in UNC social work, for persuading her to pursue an MSW degree. Still, even after being accepted to the School, Parker said she was unsure she could afford a graduate education. “I really didn’t think I was going to be able to go, but then I got a federal stipend, and the money came through at the last minute,” Parker recalled during the 2012 interview. “So that’s really another reason I wanted to give back.” During her years at the Salisbury VA Medical Center, Parker served as a faculty field instructor for UNC. Although she retired as a clinical social worker in 1994, she remained an active community vol-unteer, serving on mental health boards in three counties as well as on the board for Habitat for Humanity.

For more information about making an estate gift to the School of Social Work, please contact Mary Beth Hernandez at 919-962-6469 or [email protected].

This year, the UNC School of Social Work community mourned the loss of one of its own. Clinical Instructor and Field Adviser

Teresa L. Ilinitch died unexpectedly on Feb. 3, 2014, at her home in Pittsboro. She was 50. A native of Santa Clara, Calif., and a graduate of Stanford University and San Jose State University, Il-initch came to the School of Social Work in 2009 as a project coordinator for the Family and Children’s Resource Program. A nationally known expert in family-centered practice and family group deci-sion making, Ilinitch was hired to lead a national project to train state level child welfare managers on leadership and organizational change management. She brought a wealth of expertise to the role, having served more than 15 years in various positions in-cluding, as a direct services social worker, county social work supervi-sor, state level trainer and curriculum developer, national consultant and trainer for the U.S. Children’s Bureau and other groups, and as a state child welfare manager.

From the moment Ilinitch joined UNC, she established a presence among students, faculty, and staff as someone with an abundance of warmth, en-ergy, and grace. Those who met her learned quickly that the instructor was just as exuberant about the profession of social work as she was about her love of life and family, said School of Social Work Dean Jack M. Richman. “Teresa was a sparkling personality whose light positively impacted and touched everyone with whom she was in contact,” Richman said. “I will miss her affirming presence.” The family has established a scholarship in Ilin-itch’s name through the School of Social Work. If you would like to make a gift in tribute to Ilinitch, gifts can be made online at http:/giving.unc.

edu/gift/ssw, or by mail using the enclosed envelope. Checks should be made payable to the UNC School of Social Work Foundation with Ilinitch Scholarship on the memo line.

Teresa Ilinitch

By Susan White


RepresentativesSarah Axelson ‘08Melissa Brandt ‘07Jason Derrick ‘05Elizabeth Freeze ‘09Sunya Folayan ‘80Tracy Hamilton ‘05Tonia Jacobs ‘08Courtney Merchant ‘08Davena Mgbeokwere ‘13Lauren Perkins ‘10 Annanora Short ‘01Barbara Stelly ‘83Phyllis Thomas-Thorpe ‘83Ashley Ward ‘08Tamika Williams ‘97Crystal Yarborough ‘09

President EmeritiJennifer Baddour ‘99 Mary Sue Cherney ‘84Dana Courtney ‘74Alan Ellis ‘96Julia Gaskell ‘85Lyn Green ‘81Bill Lamb ‘74Leslie Lovett ‘92Janice McNeely ‘71Jennifer Parker ‘90Greg Perkins ‘03Matt Sullivan ‘97Michelle Turner ‘03Mark Sullivan ‘02

2014-15 Alumni Council

OfficersEbon Freeman-James ‘02, PresidentKeith McAdam ‘07, Vice President

From the Alumni President

Hello, everyone. My name is Ebon Freeman-James, and I am the newly elected Alumni Council President. After graduating in 2002 and serving on the board since that time, it is my pleasure to be president and to step into a new role of

service for our dynamic School of Social Work. Please let me know if there is anything I or the Council can do to assist you in any way. One thing that I know to be true throughout my involvement in this remarkable program is that social workers are truly willing to be there for one another.

While attending graduation in early May, I was struck by how enthusiastic all of the graduates seemed to be and how eager each was to move on toward their bright futures in our field. What hope it inspires, that, despite all of the obstacles many encounter, people still feel called to this noble profession.

To the recent graduates and those who may have lost touch with the program, please engage. We welcome your time, talent, input and last, but not least, monetary support. Each person can maintain a mutually beneficial relationship, as our cohort is over 5,000 strong. For those of you who are already connected in some way, please continue and know that the Alumni Council, faculty and staff appreciate the unique role you play. Many of you serve as field instructors, attend or facilitate continuing education programs, teach or volunteer. Thank you!

I would also like to extend a special thank you to the dedicated dean, faculty and staff who establish the firm foundation of the UNC School of Social Work. As alumni, we know that there are many challenges and rewards that come with your roles, and we appreciate each of you so very much. Many of you have been at the school for decades, some just a few months, but you have each left your mark in the hearts and minds of our students for different reasons, and we want to acknowledge that with our thanks.

Please know that the Alumni Council is always looking for “new recruits” and would welcome your interest and participation. If you are interested in more information, feel free to contact Mary Beth Hernandez at (919) 962-6469 or [email protected]. Coincidently, if you are interested in giving to the School, she can also assist you in making those arrangements. Know that any amount, large or small, is helpful.

Truly,

Ebon Freeman-James, MSW, LCSW ‘02

Ebon Freeman-James, MSW ‘02, LCSW


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turning gray - UNC School of Social Work

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